 Israeli scientist Ada Yonath wins Nobel Prize for chemistry Oct. 7, 2009 AP and jpost.com staff , THE JERUSALEM POST Ada Yonath from the Weizmann Institute in Rehovot. Israeli scientist Ada Yonath, as well as American scientists Venkatraman Ramakrishnan and Thomas Steitz, were awarded the 2009 Nobel Prize in chemistry on Wednesday, for mapping ribosomes, the protein-producing factories within cells, at the atomic level. The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences said their work has been fundamental to the scientific understanding of life and has helped researchers develop antibiotic cures for various diseases. Shortly after the award was announced, President Shimon Peres called Yonath to congratulate her, saying, "We are proud of you, it's hard to describe just how proud." "This is the first time that a researcher from the Weizman Institute has been awarded a Nobel Prize and I am happy for your success," the president added. Yonath is the fourth woman to win the Nobel chemistry prize and the first since 1964, when Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin of Britain received the prize. This year's three laureates all generated three-dimensional models that show how different antibiotics bind to ribosomes. "These models are now used by scientists in order to develop new antibiotics, directly assisting the saving of lives and decreasing humanity's suffering," the academy said in its announcement. "All three have used a method called X-ray crystallography to map the position for each and every one of the hundreds of thousands of atoms that make up the ribosome," the academy said. Alfred Nobel, a Swedish industrialist who invented dynamite, established the Nobel Prizes in his will in 1895. The first awards were handed out six years later. Each prize comes with a 10 million kronor ($1.4 million) purse, a diploma, a gold medal and an invitation to the prize ceremony in Stockholm on Dec. 10. The Peace Prize is handed out in Oslo. On Monday, three American scientists shared the Nobel Prize in medicine for discovering a key mechanism in the genetic operations of cells, an insight that has inspired new lines of research into cancer. The physics prize on Tuesday was split between a Hong Kong-based scientist who helped develop fiber-optic cable and two Canadian and American researchers who invented the "eye" in digital cameras - technology that has revolutionized communications and science. The literature and peace prize winners will be announced later this week and the economics announcement is set for Monday. This article can also be read at http://www.jpost.com /servlet/Satellite?cid=1254861887112&pagename=JPArticle%2FShowFull  Israeli, 2 Americans Awarded Nobel Prize in ChemistryTishrei 19, 5770, 07 October 09 02:00 by Zalman Nelson(Israelnationalnews.com) Ada Yonath of Israel and Americans Venkatraman Ramakrishnan and Thomas Steitz were awarded the 2009 Nobel Prize for Chemistry on Wednesday for "studies of the structure of the ribosome” which translates the DNA code into life. According to the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, the group’s work has been fundamental to the scientific understanding of life, and has helped researchers develop antibiotic cures for various diseases. The laureates successfully generated three-dimensional models that show how different antibiotics bind to ribosomes. Yonath is only the fourth woman to win the chemistry Nobel Prize, and the first since 1964. The winners will split a $1.4 million purse, receive diplomas, and are invited to the prize ceremonies in Stockholm on December 10, the anniversary of award founder Alfred Nobel's death in 1896. “We are extremely proud of you," President Shimon Peres said in a phone conversation with Yonath on Wednesday. |It’s the first time that a researcher from the Weizman Institute has been awarded the Nobel Prize and I’m happy that in your merit the door has been opened to this award." The chemistry award is the third Nobel Prize to be announced this year. On Monday, three American scientists shared the Nobel Prize in Medicine for discovering a key mechanism in the genetic operations of cells which inspired new research into cancer and aging. The physics prize went to three other Americans who created the technology behind digital photography and fiber-optic networks; Israeli Prof. Yakir Aharonov was nominated for the prize for his work in quantum mechanics, but did not win it. The prize in literature and the Nobel Peace Prize will be announced later this week. Israeli author Amos Oz is believed to be a strong favorite to be honored in the literature division. Oz has written numerous novels on the peace process, which he strongly backs, and on life in Israel. © Copyright IsraelNationalNews.com Subscribe to the free Daily Israel Report - israelnn.com/subscribe |
Wednesday, 7 October 2009
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