George Smith (chemist)

George Smith EM1B5849 (31295409687)

George Smith (born March 10, 1941) is an American chemist and Nobel laureate known for his work in the field of phage display. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2018 for the development of phage display, a method for evolving new proteins and antibodies.

Early Life and Education

George Smith was born in Norwalk, Connecticut. He attended Haverford College, where he received his B.A. in biology in 1963. He then went on to earn his Ph.D. in bacteriology and immunology from Harvard University in 1970.

Career

After completing his Ph.D., Smith joined the faculty at the University of Missouri, where he spent the majority of his academic career. He became a full professor in 1983 and later held the title of Curators' Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Biological Sciences.

Phage Display

Smith's most notable contribution to science is the development of phage display, a technique that allows for the study of protein interactions by inserting the gene for a protein into a bacteriophage. This method has been widely used in the development of new therapeutics and antibodies.

Nobel Prize

In 2018, George Smith was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry along with Frances Arnold and Gregory Winter. Smith and Winter were recognized for their work on phage display, while Arnold was honored for her work on the directed evolution of enzymes.

Personal Life

George Smith is married to Margaret Smith, and they have two children. He is known for his advocacy of scientific research and education.

See Also

• Phage display
• Nobel Prize in Chemistry
• University of Missouri
• Frances Arnold
• Gregory Winter