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

WASHINGTON, Oct. 4, 2017 — On behalf of the American Chemical Society (ACS), President Allison A. Campbell, Ph.D., congratulates today’s winners of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry: Jacques Dubochet, Ph.D., University of Lausanne (Switzerland); Joachim Frank, Ph.D., Columbia University; and Richard Henderson, Ph.D., MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology (U.K.). The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences awarded the prize “for developing cryo-electron microscopy for the high-resolution structure determination of biomolecules in solution.”

“This discovery is like the Google Earth for molecules in that it takes us down to the fine detail of atoms within proteins,” says Campbell. “Understanding proteins in their native state is important to every field of science as they are in every living thing. A picture truly is worth a thousand words, and the laureates’ discoveries are invaluable to our understanding of life and the development of new therapeutics to improve people’s lives and the health of our planet.”

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

News media can arrange telephone interviews with Campbell 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.