2001 Chemistry Nobel Prize
Leon Jacob and Shelby Brehm
The 2001 Chemistry Nobel Prize Winners:
William S. Knowles
Born: 1 June 1917, Taunton, MA, USA
Died: 13 June 2012, Chesterfield, MO, USA
Education: Harvard University and Columbia University
Work: retired
Field of Study : industrial and organic chemistry
Fact: He wasn't athletic and never made any teams.
Ryoji Noyori
Education: Kyoto University
Work: Director of the Research Center for Materials Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan.
Field of study: industrial and organic chemistry
Facts: Originally was studying polymer chemistry but then switched to organic chemistry
K. Barry Sharpless
Education: Dartmouth College and Standford University
Work : Professor of Chemistry at the Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, USA.
Field of study: industrial and organic chemistry
Facts: he really loved to go fishing.
What did they Do?
Why did they Win?
Problem Solved
Many things in nature come in pairs. For example, your hands come in a pair; they mirror each other. Lots of important molecules used in drugs also come in pairs. Each of these molecules is called an enantiomer. There are 2 enantiomers in a pair.The problem is that only one molecule of the pair is useful. Sometimes, the other one is even harmful. Because of this, companies who make drugs want to be able to separate the good enantiomer from the bad one. Previously, there was no known way to do this in large quantities. These scientists found a way to create a reaction that would produce more of the good molecule and less of the bad one.
To do this, they used a specific catalyst. A catalyst is something that speeds up a reaction without disappearing in the reaction. The catalyst is added to a certain compound, the reaction takes place, and the good molecule is produced much more than the bad one.
Uses and Future Impact
This discovery helped create new drugs that can be used to treat various problems. For example, it helped in the development of a drug that is used to help treat Parkinson's disease. This discovery also helped with flavoring agents, sweeteners, and insecticides. Scientists are currently working to create even more new drugs using this process, which could prove to be very useful in the future.