Representational PictureThree scientists Frances H Arnold (USA), George P Smith (UK) and Gregory P Winter (USA), have won the 2018 Nobel Prize in chemistry for their work in harnessing evolution to produce new enzymes and antibodies.
This work has led to the development of new fuels and pharmaceuticals by making use of nature’s evolutionary processes themselves, leading to medical and environmental advances.
Half of the prize has been given to Arnold, from the California Institute of Technology, for her work on directing the evolution of enzymes – proteins that speed up chemical reactions.
The other half of the award has been received by winter and Smith for their work on “phage display of peptides and antibodies”. A phage is a virus that can infect bacteria and trick them into reproducing it.
