Roy Black

Two years ago, I had an intriguing theory about the origins of life. But I had nowhere to test it.

I had spent my career at Amgen Corporation, studying enzymes that played a role in inflammatory diseases. But I had a growing interest in questions about how life began – questions that led me to retire early, so I could study those questions on my own, at my own expense.

But there was a hitch: I needed laboratory space and equipment. Through a connection, I found Sarah Keller, Professor of Chemistry at the University of Washington and I became an unpaid visiting scientist in chemistry.

My research has focused on a seeming paradox. Life on earth – the first living cells – are believed to have begun in the salty oceans. But living cells collapse when put into salt.

I had this “crazy idea” that the genetic material in cells, their RNA, would cling to the cell walls and thereby help the cell to survive in salt water. I started conducting experiments in the lab to test this idea.

Much to everyone’s surprise, including my own, my experiments supported the hypothesis. I repeated the experiment multiple times, figuring I must have made a mistake. Each time, the result was the same. That was definitely a Eureka moment.

The main surprise of my encore has been that I can still do this stuff, including the somewhat demanding physical activities.  I’d be at a loss without the project. Reading and walking or biking are fine, but not enough to fill my day.

Roy BlackSince that early success, I’m collaborating with a young doctoral student named Matt Blosser. Matt says I’ve given him an opportunity to explore a field that he probably would never have found otherwise, and that the work he’s done with me is among his proudest accomplishments in graduate school.

Working with younger people is a big plus. They actually think I have something to say, and I feel more part of the wider community. A bit of a surprise is how easy it’s been to fit in with a bunch of 20-somethings, sharing my passion for the research. We recently learned that, because of the significance of our research, we have been invited to submit a grant application to a prestigious foundation – which could lead to more support for pursuing my “crazy ideas” in Professor Keller’s lab.

(Read about the University of Washington’s Encore Initiative.)