Protein Researchers Win Nobel Prize In Chemistry

nucal writes "The 2003 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to Rod MacKinnon and Peter Agree for their work on proteins that form ion and water channels in cell membranes. In particular, solving the structure of potassium channels was a major achievement, since this was the first multispan transmembrane protein structure to be solved by X-ray crystallography. There is also structural information on aquaporins (water channels) as well."

Comments

That was quick.

[the gnat]

There was pretty much no doubt that MacKinnon would win it eventually - but it's a bit surprising that it came so soon, considering he's at the height of his career. He's only published four papers this year, but they're all Science or Nature (including one cover article). We can probably expect equally terrific work from him in the future.

I interviewed with him earlier this year (I applied to Rockefeller largely because of his lab), and he's one of the most intensely brilliant people I've ever met. There are very few scientists who will master a completely different technique in the middle of their career, while working on the same area of research. Fewer still are able to dominate the field. When I took physiology in college, we read multiple articles which described hypotheses proved by a single figure in one of MacKinnon's papers.

(There are actually an increasing number of membrane protein structures available, some of them quite large. However, ion channels are apparently especially difficult to study, and none were solved before MacKinnon started.)

Off the beaten path

[sssmashy]

To MacKinnon, the physician-turned-electrophysiologist-turned-crysta llographer, "the fun really begins once you have the structure."

Physician-->Electrophysiologist--->Crystallograp her-->Nobel Laureate.

Bricklayer-->Bodybuilder-->Movie Star-->Governor of California.

There's definitely something to be said for nonlinear career choices...