Nobel Prizes
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Nobel Prizes

The Nobel Prize in Chemistry and the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine often recognize achievements in biochemistry, as the field intersects with both disciplines. Below is a summary of Nobel Prizes awarded from 2010 to 2024 that are directly related to biochemistry, based on their contributions to understanding biological molecules, processes, or techniques relevant to biochemistry. Note that the Nobel Prize in Chemistry is frequently awarded for biochemical advances, as biology was not a distinct category in Alfred Nobel’s will.

Nobel Prizes in Chemistry (Biochemistry-Related, 2010–2024)

  • 2024: David Baker, Demis Hassabis, John Jumper
    • Achievement: Computational protein design and protein structure prediction.
    • Contribution: Baker pioneered the design of novel proteins for pharmaceuticals and vaccines, while Hassabis and Jumper developed AlphaFold, an AI model solving the 50-year challenge of predicting protein structures from amino acid sequences. These advances revolutionized protein biochemistry.
  • 2022: Carolyn Bertozzi, Morten Meldal, K. Barry Sharpless
    • Achievement: Development of click chemistry and bioorthogonal chemistry.
    • Contribution: Sharpless and Meldal developed click chemistry for efficient molecular bonding, while Bertozzi’s bioorthogonal chemistry enabled studying biomolecules in living systems without disrupting cellular processes, with applications in drug development and diagnostics.
  • 2021: Benjamin List, David W.C. MacMillan
    • Achievement: Development of asymmetric organocatalysis.
    • Contribution: Their work on small organic molecule catalysts advanced precise chemical reactions, including those in biochemical synthesis, impacting drug and biomolecule production.
  • 2020: Emmanuelle Charpentier, Jennifer A. Doudna
    • Achievement: Development of CRISPR-Cas9 for genome editing.
    • Contribution: Their discovery of the CRISPR-Cas9 system, a precise tool for editing DNA, transformed biochemistry and molecular biology, enabling targeted genetic modifications with applications in medicine and biotechnology.
  • 2018: Frances H. Arnold, George P. Smith, Gregory P. Winter
    • Achievement: Harnessing evolution for enzyme and protein development.
    • Contribution: Arnold’s directed evolution of enzymes and Smith and Winter’s phage display for peptides and antibodies enabled the creation of tailored proteins for therapeutics, such as antibody-based drugs.
  • 2017: Jacques Dubochet, Joachim Frank, Richard Henderson
    • Achievement: Development of cryo-electron microscopy for biomolecule structure determination.
    • Contribution: Their work enabled high-resolution imaging of biomolecules in solution, advancing structural biochemistry by revealing detailed protein and nucleic acid structures.
  • 2015: Tomas Lindahl, Paul Modrich, Aziz Sancar
    • Achievement: Mapping DNA repair mechanisms.
    • Contribution: Their studies elucidated how cells repair DNA damage (e.g., base excision repair, mismatch repair, and nucleotide excision repair), critical for understanding genome stability and diseases like cancer.
  • 2013: Martin Karplus, Michael Levitt, Arieh Warshel
    • Achievement: Development of multiscale models for complex chemical systems.
    • Contribution: Their computational models simulated biochemical processes, such as enzyme reactions, enabling predictive studies of protein dynamics and molecular interactions.
  • 2012: Robert J. Lefkowitz, Brian K. Kobilka
    • Achievement: Studies of G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs).
    • Contribution: Their work revealed the structure and function of GPCRs, key biochemical signaling molecules, advancing drug design for numerous physiological processes.

Nobel Prizes in Physiology or Medicine (Biochemistry-Related, 2010–2024)

  • 2024: Victor Ambros, Gary Ruvkun
    • Achievement: Discovery of microRNA and its role in gene regulation.
    • Contribution: Their identification of microRNAs as regulators of gene expression revealed a fundamental biochemical mechanism controlling cellular development and function.
  • 2023: Katalin Karikó, Drew Weissman
    • Achievement: Discoveries enabling mRNA vaccines.
    • Contribution: Their work on nucleoside modifications in mRNA improved its stability and reduced immune rejection, enabling effective mRNA vaccines, notably for COVID-19.
  • 2020: Harvey J. Alter, Michael Houghton, Charles M. Rice
    • Achievement: Discovery of the hepatitis C virus.
    • Contribution: Their identification and characterization of the hepatitis C virus involved biochemical techniques, leading to diagnostic tests and treatments for a major liver disease.
  • 2019: William G. Kaelin Jr., Peter J. Ratcliffe, Gregg L. Semenza
    • Achievement: Discoveries of how cells sense and adapt to oxygen availability.
    • Contribution: Their work on the hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) pathway revealed biochemical mechanisms for oxygen-dependent gene regulation, critical for cancer and anemia research.
  • 2017: Jeffrey C. Hall, Michael Rosbash, Michael W. Young
    • Achievement: Discoveries of molecular mechanisms controlling circadian rhythms.
    • Contribution: Their identification of clock genes and proteins elucidated the biochemical feedback loops governing biological clocks, impacting health and disease.
  • 2015: William C. Campbell, Satoshi Ōmura, Tu Youyou
    • Achievement: Therapies for parasitic infections.
    • Contribution: Ōmura and Campbell’s discovery of avermectin (biochemically derived from microbes) and Tu’s artemisinin provided treatments for river blindness, lymphatic filariasis, and malaria.
  • 2013: James E. Rothman, Randy W. Schekman, Thomas C. Südhof
    • Achievement: Discoveries of machinery regulating vesicle traffic.
    • Contribution: Their work on vesicle transport elucidated biochemical mechanisms for cellular communication and secretion, critical for neurotransmitter release and hormone signaling.
  • 2011: Bruce A. Beutler, Jules A. Hoffmann, Ralph M. Steinman
    • Achievement: Discoveries of innate immunity mechanisms.
    • Contribution: Their identification of toll-like receptors and dendritic cells involved biochemical signaling pathways, advancing immunology and vaccine development.
  • 2010: Robert G. Edwards
    • Achievement: Development of in vitro fertilization (IVF).
    • Contribution: While primarily physiological, IVF relied on biochemical understanding of gamete interactions, enabling reproductive technologies.

Notes

  • Overlap with Biochemistry: Many Chemistry Nobel Prizes in this period were awarded for biochemical advances (e.g., CRISPR, protein design) due to the interdisciplinary nature of modern chemistry. Physiology or Medicine prizes often involve biochemical mechanisms (e.g., microRNA, DNA repair).
  • Trends: Over the last 15 years, biochemical Nobel Prizes have increasingly focused on molecular tools (CRISPR, AlphaFold), structural biology (cryo-EM), and computational approaches, reflecting the field’s evolution.
  • Women Laureates: Notable women in biochemistry-related awards include Jennifer Doudna (2020, Chemistry), Emmanuelle Charpentier (2020, Chemistry), Frances H. Arnold (2018, Chemistry), Katalin Karikó (2023, Physiology or Medicine), and Carolyn Bertozzi (2022, Chemistry).
  • Source Clarification: The list is compiled from Nobel Prize announcements and analyses of biochemical relevance, as some awards (e.g., organocatalysis) have broader chemical applications but impact biochemistry.
If you need details on specific laureates, their discoveries, or additional years, let me know!