On October 9, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced the winners of the 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry: David Baker, Demis Hassabis, and John Jumper. This recognition honors their remarkable contributions to the fields of protein design and protein structure prediction.
While many view the Nobel Prize in Chemistry as something distant and prestigious, it’s important to note its profound relevance to our everyday lives. In fact, this esteemed award often provides hope for advancements in disease treatment and a better quality of life.
Many people are now enjoying vibrant films on their QLED (Quantum Dot Light Emitting Diode) TVs at home, thanks to the foundational research that led to the establishment of quantum dots— the 2023 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded for significant strides in this area. With ongoing developments in the metaverse, virtual reality, and augmented reality technologies, future electronic devices are expected to deliver even more enhanced experiences, all supported by quantum dot innovations.
Another everyday example is seen in the ubiquity of lithium-ion batteries, fundamental to our smartphones, laptops, electric vehicles, and large-scale energy storage systems like wind and solar power solutions. Recognized for making a fossil fuel-free society feasible, the importance of lithium-ion batteries was solidified when scientists were awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2019 for their groundbreaking work in this field. The Nobel Committee remarked on the “remarkable societal impact” these technologies have had.
The impact of chemistry goes beyond this. Breakthroughs in polymer plastics decades ago have touched nearly every aspect of modern life. Other notable applications include MRI technology commonly used in hospitals and neon lights that brighten our nights—both are prime examples of how Nobel-recognized research has been applied practically.
In the realm of life sciences, the Nobel Prize in Chemistry has been instrumental in delivering hope for disease cures. As reiterated by Carl Barry Sharpless, a two-time Nobel laureate, any advancement in life sciences offers greater hope in curing diseases. His work on chiral catalytic oxidation reactions has led to the successful synthesis of numerous critical medicines that continue to save lives today.
In 2020, two female scientists, Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer Doudna, were awarded the Nobel Prize for their revolutionary contributions to genome editing techniques through the CRISPR/Cas9 technology. This innovative method holds the potential to not only advance life science research but also aid in the development of new cancer therapies and the possibility of curing genetic diseases.
Other renowned chemists have similarly utilized their research to benefit humanity. For instance, the 2018 Nobel laureates Frances Arnold, George Smith, and Gregory Winter developed methods to harness evolutionary processes to produce antibodies capable of combating autoimmune diseases and, in some cases, even treating metastatic cancer.
Year after year, Nobel Prize winners in Chemistry continue to be at the forefront of breakthrough discoveries—eliminating diseases, saving lives, and improving environments, bringing substantial benefits to society.
Reflecting on the Nobel Prize achievements over the past decade, here’s a quick recap:
– **2023**: Mungui Bawendi, Louis Brus, and Alexei Ekimov for contributions in discovering and synthesizing quantum dots.
– **2022**: Carolyn Bertozzi, Morten Meldal, and Carl Barry Sharpless for their work in click chemistry and bioorthogonal chemistry.
– **2021**: David W.C. MacMillan and Benjamin List for advancements in asymmetric organic catalysis.
– **2020**: Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer Doudna for their contributions to gene editing technologies.
– **2019**: John B. Goodenough, Stanley Whittingham, and Akira Yoshino for their development of lithium batteries.
– **2018**: Frances Arnold, George Smith, and Gregory Winter for directed evolution of enzymes and phage display technology for antibodies.
– **2017**: Jacques Dubochet, Joachim Frank, and Richard Henderson for the development of cryo-electron microscopy.
– **2016**: Jean-Pierre Sauvage, Fraser Stoddart, and Bernard Feringa for the design and synthesis of molecular machines.
– **2015**: Tomas Lindahl, Paul Modrich, and Aziz Sancar for mechanistic studies of DNA repair.
– **2014**: Eric Betzig, William E. Moerner, and Stefan W. Hell for super-resolved fluorescence microscopy innovations.
These accomplishments underscore the ongoing journey of chemistry in improving life on Earth, with discoveries that resonate with humanity’s needs and aspirations.
