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"In 1971, a masters student came to work in my lab in Siberia. It was Elena.In 1976 I married her," says a beaming Professor Alex Girshovich of the Weizmann Institute's Biological Chemistry Department. Dr. Elena Bochkareva, sitting opposite him, smiles demurely. The two have been working together now for almost twenty-seven years, and, as well as making significant strides in their field of biological chemistry, have raised their two children.
Originally from the Ukraine, Girshovich found himself in Siberia when the Soviet government established a "science town" named Academgorodok, near Novosibirsk.
In Siberia, Girshovich stumbled upon a whole new path, scientifically speaking. When molecular biologist friends suggested he work with them, he changed direction, making the move which shaped his career. At that time, Elena was studying for her masters at nearby Novosibirsk University. Originally from the so-called Jewish Autonomous Region (the Russian Far East), she had moved to Siberia with her family as a small child. When she walked into the lab where her future husband worked, her initial thoughts were not of romance. "When I first saw him, I thought, 'This is a real scientist!'" she laughs.
When Girshovich was invited to organize a research group in 1972 at the Biological Center of the Soviet Academy of Sciences in Pushkino, just outside Moscow, he explained to the authorities at the Center that he couldn't do it alone. "I asked permission to bring at least one of the guys from my Siberian group," he says. Elena Bochkareva was the "guy."
Four years later they married, and in 1977 Bochkareva gave birth to their son, Simon, currently serving in the tank division of the Israel Defense Forces. A daughter, 14-year-old Yana, followed.
For the couple, it's "science first, then private life." For Alex and Elena, there's little division between the two. They take their science home with them, discussing work over the dining table. "You have to discuss things with someome who understands the field. I think our approach when we work together is good for science."
Their major achievement came in 1987 when they became two of the pioneers in the development of a new field in molecular and cell biology. The breakthrough was the identification of "molecular chaperones." These special proteins are present in any cell and are crucial for cell survival. They ensure that the assembly of other proteins into functionally-active structures occurs correctly.
"For Russian Jews, Israel was always a dream," says Girshovich. "On February 6, 1992, we came to Israel, to the Weizmann Institute. That was the best decision we ever made. We feel that if the whole of Israel is like our department, then it is the best country in the world."
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