How a Nobel Prize Discovery Changed Cell Biology | Vesicles, Insulin & Parkinson’s | Randy Schekman

How do cells move cargo with such precision? What controls vesicle trafficking, and why does this process shape everything from cellular communication to disease? And what can extracellular vesicles really reveal about health, aging, and neurodegeneration?

In this episode of Neuroscience and Beyond, Professor Randy Schekman, Nobel Prize Laureate in Physiology or Medicine, helps unpack these questions. He explains the molecular machinery behind vesicle trafficking, how these pathways were discovered through foundational cell biology, and how this research enabled breakthroughs like insulin production in yeast. Prof. Schekman also explores what extracellular vesicles carry and why interpreting their biological roles remains experimentally challenging.

The conversation then shifts to Parkinson’s disease; its complexity, why current treatments mostly manage symptoms, and why early cellular changes may begin long before diagnosis. Prof. Schekman highlights research on genetic risk, environmental factors, and emerging evidence that vigorous exercise may influence disease progression.

In this episode, you’ll learn about:
How vesicle trafficking and extracellular vesicles shape cellular communication
The cell‑biology foundations behind technologies like insulin production
Why Parkinson’s disease is so difficult to treat and detect early
Genetics, early warning signs, and the role of exercise in Parkinson’s research

Timestamps
00:00:00 In This Episode & Introduction
00:02:08 Why Vesicle Trafficking Matters & Path to Nobel
00:10:12 Experimental Strategies for Vesicle Trafficking
00:20:55 From Cell Biology to Insulin Production
00:30:00 Biology Without High-Tech
00:37:28 Why Extracellular Vesicles Are Important
00:43:00 Why Parkinson’s Disease Is So Devastating
00:48:00 Large-Scale Parkinson’s Research Efforts
00:55:25 Does Parkinson’s Start Outside the Brain?
01:00:00 Can Exercise Slow Parkinson’s Progression?
01:06:50 Advice for Young Scientists

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#Neuroscience, #CellBiology #ParkinsonsDisease #ExtracellularVesicles #VesicleTrafficking #Neurodegeneration #MedicalResearch #SciencePodcast #NobelPrizeLaureate

Supported by the International Max Planck Research School for Neurosciences in #Göttingen, the European Neuroscience Institute, Cluster of Excellence Multiscale Bioimaging, as well as SFB1286

Image on the Thumbnail from kjpargeter / Freepik

Neuroscience and Beyond team:
Svilen Georgiev
Kristina Jevdokimenko
Ahsen Konaç Sayıcı
Laura van Agen