Nobel Prize in Chemistry won by 3 scientists for their works on proteins
Stockholm, Oct 3: Frances Arnold of California Institute of Technology in the US on Wednesday became only the fifth woman in history to win the Nobel Prize in Chemistry when the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced the award that recognised two other scientists for their works on proteins.
While Arnold has won one half of the 9 million Swedish krona (Rs 7.3 crore) award, the other half would be shared by George Smith of University of Missouri in the US and Gregory Winter of the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Britain.
Before Arnold, only four women -- Ada Yonath in 2009, Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin in 1964, Irene Joliot-Curie in 1935 and Marie Curie in 1911 -- won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
"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.
In 1993, Arnold conducted the first directed evolution of enzymes, which are proteins that catalyse chemical reactions. Since then, she has refined the methods that are now routinely used to develop new catalysts.
The uses of Arnold's enzymes include more environmentally friendly manufacturing of chemical substances, such as pharmaceuticals, and the production of renewable fuels for a greener transport sector.
The other half of this year's Nobel Prize in Chemistry would be shared by Smith and Winter.
In 1985, Smith developed an elegant method known as phage display, where a bacteriophage -- a virus that infects bacteria -- can be used to evolve new proteins.
Winter used phage display for the directed evolution of antibodies, with the aim of producing new pharmaceuticals.
The first one based on this method, adalimumab, was approved in 2002 and is used for rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis and inflammatory bowel diseases.
Since then, phage display has produced anti-bodies that can neutralise toxins, counteract autoimmune diseases and cure metastatic cancer.
"The 2018 Nobel Laureates in Chemistry have taken control of evolution and used it for purposes that bring the greatest benefit to humankind," the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences said.
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Bhopal: The Madhya Pradesh High Court on Thursday expressed strong dissatisfaction with the FIR registered by the state police against BJP Minister Kunwar Vijay Shah over his controversial remarks against Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, calling it deficient in crucial legal elements. The court has now decided to monitor the police investigation to ensure it proceeds fairly and without external influence.
A division bench of Justices Atul Sreedharan and Anuradha Shukla noted that the FIR lacked any substantive mention of the suspect’s actions that would establish the offences under the relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), specifically Sections 152, 196(1)(b), and 197(1)(c). These provisions relate to acts endangering national sovereignty, disturbing communal harmony, and threatening national integration.
The court observed that Paragraph 12 of the FIR merely reproduced the court's previous order without laying down how the minister's comments constituted the registered offences. “The FIR has been registered in such a manner... so that if it is challenged under erstwhile Section 482 CrPC, the same may be quashed as it is deficient in material particulars,” the bench remarked.
To prevent what it called a "subterfuge", the court directed that its full order dated May 14 be treated as part of the FIR. The court stated it would now monitor the investigation to ensure it is conducted lawfully and impartially.
The controversy stems from Vijay Shah’s statement, where he appeared to link Col. Qureshi, a senior officer of the Indian Armed Forces, to terrorists by referring to her as their “sister”. His comments were made in the context of Operation Sindoor, a military operation against Pakistani terror targets, during which Col. Qureshi had served as a spokesperson.
“Jinhone humari betiyon ke sindoor ujade the… humne unhiki behen bhej kar ke unki aisi ki taisi karwayi,” Shah had said, a remark the court found to be not only disparaging but dangerous and communal.
The High Court had earlier called the minister's language “gutter-level” and condemned his innuendos against a decorated military officer, stating that such remarks “encourage feelings of separatist activities by imputing separatist feeling to anyone who is Muslim, thereby endangering the sovereignty or unity and integrity of India.”
Following the High Court’s stern direction, Shah issued a public apology on social media, calling Col. Sofiya Qureshi “the nation’s sister.” The state government also posted on its official handle that it was taking appropriate action in compliance with the court’s order.
However, the court made it clear that it was not satisfied with the FIR's content and expressed concern that it was framed in a way that could undermine its legal sustainability.
Meanwhile, Vijay Shah has approached the Supreme Court challenging the Madhya Pradesh High Court’s suo motu direction for registering an FIR against him.
Colonel Sofiya Qureshi had become a prominent face of the Indian Armed Forces during Operation Sindoor, regularly briefing the media on military actions against terror camps in Pakistan. Her professionalism and presence made her a symbol of national service and unity, leading to outrage after Shah’s disparaging remark.
The High Court has listed the matter for further hearing immediately after the court vacation. The bench emphasized that its monitoring would not interfere with the autonomy of the investigating agency, but would ensure justice is not subverted by procedural lapses or political pressure.
