American Chemical Society’s president comments on award of 2018 Nobel Prize in Chemistry

Newswise — WASHINGTON, Oct. 3, 2018 — On behalf of the American Chemical Society (ACS), President Peter Dorhout, Ph.D., congratulates today’s winners of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry: Frances H. Arnold, Ph.D., California Institute of Technology; George P. Smith, Ph.D., University of Missouri; and Sir Gregory P. Winter, Ph.D., MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology (U.K.). The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences awarded the prize “for the directed evolution of enzymes and for the phage display of peptides and antibodies.”

“I’d like to congratulate this year’s laureates for their tremendous breakthrough work in using chemistry to speed nature’s own processes,” says Dorhout. “The laureates have used chemistry to accelerate the evolution of natural biological molecules that act as the critical machinery for living organisms. The breakthroughs from these researchers enable that to occur thousands of times faster than nature to improve medicines, fuels and other products. This is truly directed evolution using chemistry.”

Arnold has been a member of ACS for 32 years. She won the Francis P. Garvan-John M. Olin Medal in 2005. The award is sponsored by the Francis P. Garvan-John M. Olin Medal Endowment.

All of the winners have published articles in some of ACS’ more than 50 peer-reviewed journals. In addition, news articles on the topics have appeared in Chemical & Engineering News, ACS’ weekly newsmagazine. Articles are available from the contacts above.

News media can arrange telephone interviews with Dorhout or other experts in the field by calling or emailing ACS at the contact information above. In addition, a Speaking of Chemistry video on the Nobel Prize in Chemistry will be posted.                                           

The American Chemical Society, the world’s largest scientific society, is a not-for-profit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress. ACS is a global leader in providing access to chemistry-related information and research through its multiple databases, peer-reviewed journals and scientific conferences. ACS does not conduct research, but publishes and publicizes peer-reviewed scientific studies. Its main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.

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