RNA Pioneer Christine Guthrie Dies at 77

Guthrie established foundational concepts in the field of pre-mRNA splicing during her career at the University of California, San Francisco.

Written byAmanda Heidt

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A photograph of Christine Guthrie with former students James Umen and Hiten Madhani

A 1993 photo of Christine Guthrie with former students James Umen and Hiten Madhani

Image credit:Hiten Madhani

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Christine Guthrie, a molecular geneticist whose studies of eukaryotic RNA yielded crucial insights into the workings of pre-mRNA splicing, the process by which introns are removed to produce mature messenger RNA, died July 1 at age 77.

“Her devotion to the RNA field was unwavering. In many ways, she was the soul of the field,” Hitan Madhani, a University of California, San Francisco, (UCSF) molecular biologist who was previously a graduate student in Guthrie’s lab, writes in an obituary published by the university. “With a conviction in the unmatched power of yeast genetics and its nexus with biochemistry, she embraced biological complexity rather than being unnerved by it. UCSF and the RNA field owes Christine a debt of gratitude.”

Born in April 1945, Guthrie was raised by a single mother, the writer Irene Kampen. As a young adult, Guthrie inspired many characters in her mother’s comedic novels, according to an ...

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A photograph of Christine Guthrie and Hiten Madhani

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Meet the Author

Amanda Heidt
Amanda first began dabbling in scicom as a master’s student studying marine science at Moss Landing Marine Labs, where she edited the student blog and interned at a local NPR station. She enjoyed that process of demystifying science so much that after receiving her degree in 2019, she went straight into a second master’s program in science communication at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Formerly an intern at The Scientist, Amanda joined the team as a staff reporter and editor in 2021 and oversaw the publication’s internship program, assigned and edited the Foundations, Scientist to Watch, and Short Lit columns, and contributed original reporting across the publication. Amanda’s stories often focus on issues of equity and representation in academia, and she brings this same commitment to DEI to the Science Writers Association of the Rocky Mountains and to the board of the National Association of Science Writers, which she has served on since 2022. She is currently based in the outdoor playground that is Moab, Utah. Read more of her work at www.amandaheidt.com.
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