Identify One Nobel Prize Winner in Chemistry and Describe Their Research
Nobel Prize in Chemistry is an award given yearly by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences to scientists who confer the greatest benefit to humanity in the various fields of chemistry. Fredrick Sanger is one of the few scientists who earned this prestigious award in 1958 and 1980. He was born in August 1918, in Rendcombe, England. In 1936, Fredrick Sanger started schooling at St. John’s College, Cambridge, where he first studied chemistry plus physics but later concentrated on the new area of biochemistry (Jeffers, 2017). Since 1940 he has researched in the Department of Biochemistry at Cambridge
In 1958, Sanger described and determined the structure of insulin mole, leading to his first Nobel Prize. A biochemist Albert Chibnall was already researching insulin when Fredrick Sanger linked with the group and started to isolate and compute the free-amino sets of insulin. Fredrick Sanger innovated a technique utilizing dinitrofluorobenzene to generate yellow-colored products of amino groups. He discovered two terminal amino acid groups for insulin: glycine and phenylalanine, suggesting that it contains two chains. Using the paper chromatography technique Sanger sequenced the amino-terminal peptides of every chain, proving for the first time ever that a protein has a particular sequence at a definite site. Fredrick Sanger was the initial scientist to sequence a protein he has conferred the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1958 (Kumar, Prajapati, Mishra, and Pandey, 2018).
In 1977, he also mapped in extensive detail the structure and role of the DNA molecule. Fredrick Sanger made the first comprehensive determination of the genetic structure of DNA molecules. The biochemist determined the sequence of the 5375 structure in DNA from a bacterial virus. He managed to order the genetic makeup of a messenger RNA and determined the genomic code, thereby cracking the puzzle of how sets of nucleotides code for particular amino acids. Fredrick and his colleagues used the dideoxy technique to sequence human mitochondrial DNA. He shared the 1980 Nobel Prize for chemistry with his two coworkers for this contribution to DNA sequencing methods. Today, Fredric Sanger’s method and recombinant DNA techniques make exceptional tools for continued research of the structure and role of the genetic material.
How is the Winner Chosen?
The objective of the Nobel Peace Prize is to prize persons who have made key steps toward great discoveries and bringing peace to the world in the year before nomination. The Norwegian Nobel Committee scrutinizes people who have been nominated for their Contributions to chemistry work and selects one among them to be the champion. In the initial stage, several people are assigned to nominate the candidates for the Nobel Laureates in Chemistry. The committee considers all contenders, then chooses a shortlist of five to twenty persons for further assessment. The nominees are then considered for the prize after the committee’s unanimous vote through debate and discussion.
State Why You Selected This Person in Your Assignment
I chose the biochemist Fredrick Sanger because he became the fourth two-time winner of the Nobel Prize. In 1958 he has conferred the prize for his work in sequencing and identifying the genetic makeup of the insulin molecule. Also, in 1980, Sanger won the award for his determining the base patterns in nucleic acids. Besides, his scientific contributions have to a considerable extent, increased our understanding of the way in which the chemical chemistry of the cell works.
Provide Feedback If This Assignment Assisted in Giving You a Better Understanding of the History of Chemistry and What Could Be Done Differently
I have always been super interested in chemistry and the concepts that make it into science, but there were many things I did not understand; however, after handling this assignment, the way the history of chemistry has been presented I actually now understand. Sanger was the fourth person to receive Nobel prizes in different projects and, to this day, is one of the few scientists. He is an important icon for science and, in particular, chemistry, as his work in protein sequencing provided the base for modern biotechnology. His two discoveries allowed us to determine any protein structure, analyze its function, and map the human genome. Besides, this assignment provided a thorough explanation and examples to help learn many important historical concepts that are essential to understanding the foundation of chemistry.
It has helped me broaden my knowledge of chemistry and how the Nobel Prize is awarded to science laureates. However, to help students better understand the history of chemistry, it should start from the introductory part of the course. It should also be integrated with short video demonstrations to make learning chemistry more fun. In addition, the experimental work in previous centuries, which allowed the transformation of chemistry into science, should also be considered.
References
Jeffers, J. S. (2017). Frederick Sanger: two-time Nobel laureate in chemistry. Springer.
Kumar, G., Prajapati, G. K., Mishra, A. N., & Pandey, D. M. (2018). Recent biotechnological approaches to produce climate-ready crops and enhancing crop productivity. In Eco- friendly agro-biological techniques for enhancing crop productivity (pp. 25-45). Springer.