Ada Yonath

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Ada E. Yonath (born June 22, 1939) is an Israeli crystallographer best known for her pioneering work on the structure of the ribosome. She is a professor of structural biology at the Weizmann Institute of Science. In 2009, Yonath was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry along with Venkatraman Ramakrishnan and Thomas A. Steitz for her studies on the structure and function of the ribosome, making her the first Israeli woman to win the Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

Early Life and Education

Ada Yonath was born in Jerusalem. She received her bachelor's degree in chemistry in 1962 from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and her master's degree in biochemistry in 1964. She earned her Ph.D. in X-ray crystallography in 1968 from the Weizmann Institute of Science, where she began her lifelong research into the structure of the ribosome.

Career and Research

Yonath's research has focused on the mechanism of protein biosynthesis, with particular emphasis on the function and structure of ribosomes. Her work has been crucial in understanding how antibiotics target the ribosome, leading to the development of new antibiotics. Yonath used X-ray crystallography to determine the structures of ribosomal particles, a task that was considered impossible by many scientists at the time due to the size and complexity of the ribosome.

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Yonath developed innovative methods for crystallizing ribosomal particles, which laid the groundwork for her later success in determining their structure. Her team was the first to crystallize ribosomes from bacteria, which are similar to those in humans, making it possible to understand more about how proteins are synthesized in all living organisms.

Awards and Honors

In addition to the Nobel Prize, Ada Yonath has received numerous awards and honors for her work, including the Israel Prize in Chemistry in 2002, the Wolf Prize in Chemistry in 2006, and the L'Oréal-UNESCO Award for Women in Science in 2008. She is a member of the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities, the United States National Academy of Sciences, and the European Molecular Biology Organization.

Legacy and Impact

Yonath's work has had a profound impact on the scientific community's understanding of the fundamental processes of life. Her research has opened new avenues for the development of antibiotics, making it possible to target bacterial ribosomes without affecting human cells. Yonath's achievements have also served as an inspiration for women in science, demonstrating the significant contributions that women can make in fields traditionally dominated by men.

See Also

• Nobel Prize in Chemistry
• Crystallography
• Ribosome
• Protein biosynthesis
• X-ray crystallography