Uwahawe igihembo cya Nobel watakaje icyubahiro kubera kuvuga ko ‘abirabura bafite ubwenge buke’ nta gihamya afite

Ubushakashatsi muri siyansi James Watson (1928-2025) yavumbuye ibintu byafashije gusobanukirwa neza uko uturemangingo ndangasano (DNA/ADN) twikuba n’ukuntu amakuru yatwo yoherezwa, bityo bitanga urufatiro rw’ iterambere ryihuse muri siyansi na ‘molekile’.

Imirimo ya James Watson yamuhesheje igihembo cya Nobel cya Siyanse mu 1962 hamwe na Maurice Wilkins (1916-2004) na Francis Crick (1916-2004) kubera iryo vumburwa ry’imiterere ya ADN.

Ibitekerezo by’uwo muhanga w’Umunyamerika, wapfuye ku wa 7 Ugushyingo(11) uyu mwaka afite imyaka 97, byamuhesheje icyubahiro ku rwego mpuzamahanga, ariko byanabaye itangiriro yo gutakaza icyubahiro kwe.

Mu 2019, yambuwe imyanya y’icyubahiro yahabwaga nyuma yo kuvugira mu kiganiro cya televiziyo ko utunyangingo ndangasano (genes) tugira uruhare mu itandukaniro ryavugwaga mu bipimo by’ubwenge (IQ) hagati y’Abirabura n’Abazungu. Nyuma yabyo, yaje kwemera ko ibyo bitekerezo bye nta shingiro rya siyansi bifite.

Watson yakoreye imyaka myinshi muri laboratoire ya Cold Spring Harbor muri leta ya New York, muri Leta Zunze Ubumwe za Amerika. Ariko icyo gihe, icyo kigo cyatangaje ko ibyo yavugaga ” ntashingiro byari bifite kandi ari no kudashyira mu gaciro”.

Amagambo yagize ingaruka mbi

Ntabwo yari inshuro ya mbere Watson atangaje ibitekerezo byateje impaka ku bijyanye n’itandukaniro ry’ubwenge n’irishingiye ku nkomoko. Mu myaka myinshi mbere, yari yaravuze ko Abanyafurika bafite ubwenge buri hasi ugereranyije n’Abanyaburayi.

Mu 2007, ubwo yakoraga muri laboratwari ya Cavendish muri Kaminuza ya Cambridge, mu bwami bw’u Bwongereza, uyu munyabutabire yabwiye ikinyamakuru The Times ko afite “agahinda ku hazaza h’Afurika”.

Icyo gihe Watson yatangaje ati: “Politiki zacu zose zishingiye ku gutekereza ko ubwenge bwabo bungana n’ubwacu, nyamara byose byerekana ko atari ko bimeze mu by’ukuri.”

Icyo gihe nubwo yokejwe igitutu gikomeye kugira ngo asabe imbabazi, Watson yagumaye imyanya ye y’icyubahiro, harimo kuba no kuba umuyobozi w’icyubahiro, n’umwarimu w’icyubahiro nk’uwahawe igihembo cya Oliver R. Grace, ndetse n’umunyamuryango w’icyubahiro wa laboratwari ya Cold Spring Harbor.

Watson kandi yavuze ko abona abantu bashobora kwigizayo abandi “abadafite ubwenge” hakoreshejwe ibizamini by’utunyangingo ndangasano (genes). Mu minsi yakurikiyeho, yabigarutseho mu kiganiro maze byangiza izina rye bikomeye.

Yagize ati: “Iyo ukoresheje ikizamini (interview) abantu bafite ibiro byinshi, wumva utameze neza kuko uzi ko tutazabaha akazi.” Nanone yibajije ku mugaragaro mu ijwi rirangurue niba ubwiza bushobora kandi bugomba gutezwa imbere mu buryo bw’imimerere y’uturemangingo(gene).

Uyu munyabutabire kandi yanavuzweho cyane kubera gutangaza ko abagore bagombye kugira uburenganzira bwo gukuramo inda mu gihe ikizamini cyagaragaza ko umwana atwite ashobora kuba uzakunda abantu b’igitsina nkicye (homosexual).

Watson yanashyamiranye n’abo bakorana benshi ubwo yagereranyaga abandi banyabutabire mu zindi kaminuza n’inyamaswa za “Dinosaures”, “abapfuye ubusa”, “ibisigazwa” ndetse n”abarangije igihe” mu gitabo cye cyitwa “Évitez les gens Ennuyeux” (Irinde abantu b’umunabi – tugenekereje mu kinyarwanda .

Mu 2019, yashimangiye ibitekerezo bye by’ivangura mu magambo mashya mu kiganiro cya televiziyo “American Masters: Decoding Watson” cyerekanwaga kuri televiziyo rusange PBS muri America, aho yemeje ko akomeje imyemerere ye ku bijyanye n’amoko n’ubwenge.

Ibi byatumye Laboratwari ya Cold Spring Harbor imukura ku myanya ye yose y’icyubahiro kandi ifata icyemezo cyo kutagirana undi mubano na Watson.

Mu itangazo ryayo, Cold Spring Harbor yavuze ko : “Amagambo ya Dr. Watson akwiye kunengwa kandi nta shingiro rya siyansi afite.”

Iryo tangazo kandi ryavugaga ko ibyo Watson yavugaga byari binyuranye n’imbabazi yari yarigeze gusaba mbere.

Muri icyo gihe, Watson yari afite imyaka irenga 90, kandi nk’uko itangazamakuru ry’Amerika ryabyanditse, yari atuye mu nzu y’abasaza, akirutse impanuka y’imodoka, kandi afite ubushobozi buke bwo kumva ibimukikije.

Uyu mushakashatsi, wavukiye i Chicago, muri leta ya Illinois, yavuze kandi ko nta muntu wagombye guhezwa bitewe n’inkomoko ye, kuko “hari abantu benshi bafite uruhu rw’ibara [birabura] kandi bafite impano nyinshi”.

Ibi bitekerezo bye byateje impaka nyinshi. Watson yanenzwe n’abanyapolitiki ndetse n’abashakashatsi bagenzi be.

Science Museum ya London yasubitse inama yari ateganyije gutangamo ikiganiro, naho laboratoire ya Cold Spring Harbor imuhagarika by’agateganyo. Nyuma, inama y’ubuyobozi y’icyo kigo yemeje kumukura ku mirimo ye nk’umuyobozi (Rector).

Iyo myaka, Watson yaje guhindura imyitwarire no gusaba imbabazi nanone ubwo yamurikaga igitabo ku kicaro cya Royal Society mu Bwongereza.

Mu magambo ye yavuze ko “Ku bantu bose bagerageje gusobanura ko ibyo navuze bishatse kuvuga ko Afurika, nk’umugabane, ifite ubwenge buke ku buryo bwa ‘gene’, ndabasaba imbabazi. Si byo nashakaga kuvuga. Iri jambo nta shingiro rya siyansi rifite.”

Uyu muhanga kandi yashatse gushyira amakosa ku kinyamakuru cy’Abongereza cyamubajije, avuga ko itangazo rye ryasohotse mu buryo butagaragaza neza ibitekerezo bye.

Yongeraho ati: “Ndumva neza impamvu abantu bakiriye aya magambo muri ubu buryo.”

Nyuma yo kumenya ibi, umuvugizi wa Sunday Times yemeje ko inkuru yashyizwe ahagaragara kandi ikiganiro cyose cyabitswe.

Igurwa ry’umudali wa Nobel

Muri 2014, Watson yagarutse mu binyamakuru ubwo yafataga umwanzuro wo kugurisha umudali wa zahabu w’igihembo cya Nobel.

Byari inshuro ya mbere mu mateka ubwo uwahawe umudali wa Nobel yafata icyemezo nk’iki .

Umudali washyizwe mu bicuruzwa, ugurwa n’umukire wo mu Burusiya yishyura miliyoni 4,8 z’ama dolari y’Amerika ayahereza Watson ako kanya.

Watson yavuze ko ashaka gukoresha igice cy’amafaranga yaguzwe uwo mudali, mu gushyigikira imishinga muri kaminuza n’ibigo bya siyansi aho yize cyangwa aho yakoreye mu rugendo rwose rw’umwuga we.

Yagize ati: “Ndifuza gutanga impano zindi mu buryo bw’ubugiraneza kuri laboratoire ya Cold Spring Harbor, Kaminuza ya Chicago, na Clare College ya Cambridge, kugira ngo nkomeze kugira uruhare mu gutuma isi y’ubumenyi n’ubushakashatsi ikomeza kuba ahantu h’ubuhanga n’icyubahiro.”

Muri uwo mwaka kandi, uyu muhanga mu bumenyi bwa muntu bushingiye kuri molekile yavuze ko yamaze gukurwaho mu muryango wa siyansi kubera ibitekerezo bye ku nkomoko y’amoko.

Watson yavukiye i Chicago mu kwezi kwa kane 1928. Ababyeyi be, Jean na James, bari abana b’abimukira bakomoka mu Bwongereza, no mu birwa byaho. Afite imyaka 15, yabonye ‘bourse’ yo kwiga muri Kaminuza ya Chicago, aho yimenyereje cyane mu buryo bushya bwo kwiga gukwirakwiza imirasire, n’uburyo bwo kwitegereza imiterere y’imbere ya ‘atome’ hakoreshejwe imirasire ya X.

Mu rwego rwo gukomeza ubushakashatsi ku miterere ya ADN, yagiye muri Kaminuza ya Cambridge, aho yahuriye na Francis Crick. Aba bashakashatsi bombi batangije gukora ku kubaka moderi nini zigaragaza imiterere ishoboka ya ADN.

Nyuma y’ivumburwa rye, Watson n’umugore we Elizabeth bimukiye muri Amerika aho yagiye kuba umwalimi w’ubumenyamuntu (Biology) muri kaminuza ya Harvard. we n’umugore we babyaranye abana babiri.

Mu 1968, Watson yabaye umukuru wa Laboratwari ya Cold Spring Harbor muri Leta ya New York, ikigo cyubahwa cyane, kandi gikurikiranwa nk’ikigo cy’ingenzi cyane mu bushakashatsi mu isi.

(Inkuru ya BBC)