Interview: 2004? In 1977, Dr. Rosalyn Yalow became a co-winner of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for the development of the radioimmunoassay (RIA). Unfortunately, his colleague, Solomon Berson, died before he could receive his share of the prize. From a young age, Yalow was mainly interested in mathematics and chemistry. However, when she began her studies at Hunter Women's College in New York, she became fascinated with physics and completed her graduate studies at the University of Illinois. In 1945, she received her doctorate. in nuclear physics at the University of Illinois. Yalow became very proficient in designing devices for measuring radioactive substances through the focus of her research on nuclear physics. She kindly agreed to this interview in the hope of enlightening future researchers. Thank you for joining us today, Dr. Yalow. Can you tell us a little about the RIA and what led you to develop it? RIA is a binding test that uses radioisotopes to measure the amount of antigen in a sample. Solomon and I developed the RIA by studying insulin. Before our work, it was widely accepted that diabetes was caused by a deficiency in insulin secretion. However, we disproved this theory by developing a radioisotope technique to study antibody-antigen reactions. Using radiolabeled insulin, we found that insulin breakdown was slower in patients who had previously received exogenous insulin as part of treatment for diabetes or schizophrenia. We hypothesized that the slower degradation was due to insulin binding to antibodies produced in response to exogenous insulin treatment. However, at the time there was no technique that was sensitive and specific enough to allow us to detect the small amount...... middle of paper ...... explore the ideas that interest you. We need more scientists willing to go against the grain and challenge our current understanding of the world. This is how scientific discoveries are born.Application of RIA to allergiesThe radioallergosorbent test (RAST) is an RIA test that allows the detection and quantification of IgE antibodies. During the test, a possible allergen is bound to an insoluble material and a sample of the patient's blood is added. If the blood sample contains antibodies specific to that allergen, the antibodies will bind to that allergen. Radiolabeled anti-human IgE antibodies are then added and bind only to antibodies already bound to the insoluble material. The entire sample is then discarded. Unbound anti-human antibodies are removed and the level of radioactivity is proportional to the amount of human IgE present in the blood sample..