Roderick MacKinnon as a child liked the outdoors, hiking, fishing etc., he felt an affinity with the natural world but said he was excited by both physical and natural sciences.� As a kid in Junior High School (11-12 years old) he was sent on a science enrichment course for a month where he was given a small microscope and loved it.� He says he enjoys taking things apart to see how they work rather putting things together.

In this interview MacKinnon goes�on to discuss Max Perutz and then his own research.� He says his course into science was quite sequacious and he really didn`t start science until he was about 30 as he had a strong interest in athletics first.� Initially, he went into Medicine but did not think it was science, as although it is important he found it more about pattern orientation than anything else.� MacKinnon qualified in Medicine but realised at the age of 29 that he couldn`t do it.� One thing that helped him get through medical school was studying mathematics which he still does (applied maths in general but not always).� He left Medicine and went into science�as he had a interest in Channels (electro-physiology protein ion channels) which he found fascinating.� At Brandeis University in Chris Miller`s Laboratory he was asked to study potassium channels.� The channel field at that time was separate from all the rest of bio-chemistry as people tended to be electrical engineering types and when MacKinnon was�doing his�post-doctoral studies he says we did not think about proteins but talked about resistence.� Ion protein channel conductivity was very well known by the electrical signature but they were not known�by their molecules in fact nobody had seen or crystallized one�as it was very difficult.� Even now the total number of membrane protein structures solved is less than 100.��About a�quarter of the genome is encoding membrane proteins.���It is technically difficult as they are unstable and the membrane has to be removed in detergent�and kept.� He thinks that it is amazing the they have been crystallized at all but now entire viruses have been crystallized.�

In 1995 he decided to leave a professorship at Harvard to dedicate his time to new structures of potassium channels.� He�moved to Rockefeller University where he started working with his wife Alice who is a chemist.� As he knew that he had a lot to learn he decided that he needed to work alone and thought that the change of environment would focus his attention.� He needed money to do the work and the Rockerfeller offered a start-up package under the director of Torsten Wiesel who invited him to visit.

MacKinnon`s message to students is don`t get caught up - just follow your interests and work hard and you`ll become an expert.� He agreed that working off the main stream is where some of the most important work exists.

On world issues and social responsibility he says `yes` he does feel it but at present is delaying it as he feels too young and wants to solve another good problem.� He wants to concentrate for a few more years on his science.� He says that humanity is faced with huge difficulties with population growth and the management of our planet.� We have done such a bad job he says and thinks that when he can contribute more (or perhaps help young scientists) he will make the transition.� At present he would not do a good job he thinks as he is not a good�multi-tasker.� Management of our planet requires some great leadership he says.�

There has been such a growth in information on science and scientists he thinks have done a poor job conveying this to the public.� Many people are afraid of science and scientists have a bad image.� People he thinks need to realise that� science is beautiful - it is like looking a sunset or feeling the breeze.� Science is a way of appreciating the world around us.� Some people believe that science takes away and the destroys the�mystery in life.� MacKinnon says that the mystery grows as we get to know more science.