Baltimore, MD – The Protein Society, the leading international society dedicated to advancing research in to protein structure, function, design and applications, announces long-time member Michael Levitt (Stanford University School of Medicine) and 2001 Anfinsen Award recipient Martin Karplus (Université de Strasbourg, France and Harvard University), have been awarded the 2013 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Jointly with Arieh Warshel (University of Southern California, Los Angeles), the Dr. Levitt and Dr. Karplus received the award for "development of multiscale models for complex chemical systems." The work of the three scientists, beginning as far back as the 1970s, had a profound and transformational impact on the diverse fields that advance protein science. Their achievements made possible the detailed modeling of protein movements and interactions, which is critical for understanding how proteins work, how they are altered in disease, and for designing drugs to inhibit pathological proteins. Dr. Levitt and Dr. Karplus will receive their award on December 10th at the Nobel Banquet in Stockholm, Sweden.
The Christian B. Anfinsen Award- Established in 1996 and named for Nobel laureate Christain Boehmer Anfinsen, whose research on the structure and function of enzyme proteins contributed to the general acceptance of the "thermodynamic hypothesis", The Christian B. Anfinsen Award recognizes significant technical achievements in the field of protein science. Dr. Karplus is the second Anfinsen Award winner to later be receive the Nobel Prize.
The Protein Society is the only international membeship society with a focus on protein research exclusively. Founded in 1986, the mission of the Society is to provide international forums to facilitate communication, cooperation and collaboration with regard to all aspects of the study of proteins. In support of these goals, the Society publishes Protein Science, the premier journal in the field, hosts an annual international symposium, and facilitates the education of early-career protein scientists across all lines of discipline. The Protein Society members represent a wide spectrum of academic, industry, governmental, and non-profit institutions from more than 50 countries around the world. Media inquiries can be directed to Jody McGinness, Executive Director, at (443) 543-5452.