Golden Goose Award 2013: John Eng

The Golden Goose awards, a wonderful idea from Representative Jim Cooper (D-TN), are given to scientists whose federally funded basic research has led to useful breakthroughs. The most recent goes to biologist John Eng, whose study of Gila monster venom "led to a drug that protects millions of diabetics from such complications as blindness, kidney failure, and nerve damage."

The compound that Eng discovered, Exendin-4, stimulates the pancreas to make more insulin, and this works better for many patients than shots of insulin do. I loved this detail about how Eng promoted his discovery:

To gain notice for his discovery, Dr. Eng set up a booth at the American Diabetes Association annual meeting, where he caught the attention of a small biotechnology company, Amylin Pharmaceuticals.

Amylin now markets the drug as Byetta.

The awards are, as I said before, fundamentally unfair, since they go to people whose curiosity led to useful technologies they in no way anticipated. But the awards are a great way to highlight the unpredictability of scientific research and the way abstruse studies can lead to practical advances. Jim Cooper:

Medicine from monsters and venom may sound like a science-fiction novel, but it’s a real-life breakthrough. Dr. Eng’s research shows that we can’t abandon science funding only because we don’t know where it might lead. Just ask millions of diabetics whose lives have been improved by his discovery.