Hungary 3

Bálint Pató (17)

City/Region: Szekesfehervar, Fejer E-mail: patobalint@hotmail.com Hobbies: Running, swimming, table tennis, volleyball, cycling, guitar playing (rock and Hungarian folk music), singing, mathematics and computer science Career: Biochemist School: St. Stephen High School of the Cistercian Order

Stress Proteins as Constituents of the Microtrabecular Lattice

In the last few years Bálint has become so interested in scientific research that he now regularly commutes some 60 km between his home and the lab to work on stress proteins. These form the most ancient defence mechanism of our cells. Bálint wanted to give an answer to the open question of the last twenty years about how stress proteins might be defined as major constituents of the protein network that stabilises the structure of the cytoplasm. He also wanted to provide a novel explanation to the unknown role of the excessive amount of stress proteins found in human cells, and to measure their impact on the mechanism of several anti-cancer agents that widely used in clinical practice today. His results he believes might actually provide a new tool for developing more efficient versions of these drugs.

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