Scientists Frances Arnold, George Smith and Gregory Winter won the 2018 Nobel Prize for Chemistry for research using directed evolution to produce enzymes for new chemicals and pharmaceuticals, the award-giving body said on Wednesday.
“This year's Nobel Laureates in Chemistry have been inspired by the power of evolution and used the same principles genetic change and selection to develop proteins that solve mankind's chemical problems,” the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences said in a statement on awarding the 9 million Swedish crown ($1 million)prize.
Chemistry is the third of this year's Nobels and comes after the prizes for Medicine and Physics were awarded earlier this week. ($1 = 8.9739 Swedish crowns)