Kurt Wüthrich facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kurt Wüthrich
|
|
|---|---|
Wüthrich in 2022
|
|
| Born | 4 October 1938 |
| Alma mater |
|
| Known for | Protein NMR Transverse relaxation-optimized spectroscopy ST2-PT |
| Awards |
|
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | |
| Institutions |
|
| Doctoral advisor | Silvio Fallab |
Kurt Wüthrich was born on October 4, 1938, in Aarberg, Switzerland. He is a famous Swiss chemist and biophysicist. He won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry because he found new ways to study tiny parts of living things.
He developed special methods using something called nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). This helps scientists figure out the 3D shapes of important biological macromolecules, like proteins. Knowing these shapes helps us understand how our bodies work.
Contents
Early Life and Studies
Kurt Wüthrich grew up in Aarberg, Switzerland. He went to the University of Bern to study chemistry, physics, and mathematics. After that, he earned his PhD degree in 1964 from the University of Basel. His main teacher for his PhD was Silvio Fallab.
His Amazing Career
After getting his PhD, Kurt Wüthrich worked for a short time with his former teacher. Then, he moved to the University of California, Berkeley in the United States. He worked there for two years, from 1965 to 1967.
Next, he joined the Bell Telephone Laboratories in Murray Hill, New Jersey. He worked there from 1967 to 1969. In 1969, Wüthrich went back to Switzerland, to Zürich. He started working at the ETH Zürich and became a Professor of Biophysics by 1980.
Today, he still has a laboratory at ETH Zürich. He also works at The Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, California. Plus, he has a lab at the iHuman Institute of ShanghaiTech University in China. He has also been a visiting professor at other universities, like the University of Edinburgh.
How He Started His Research
When Kurt Wüthrich was a student, he first worked with a method called electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy. His PhD work was about how copper helps in certain chemical reactions.
Later, when he was in Berkeley, he started using a newer method called nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. He used it to study how water molecules stick to metal complexes.
At Bell Labs, he got to use one of the very first powerful NMR machines. This is when he began to study the shapes and movements of proteins. He has continued this important research ever since.
Discoveries with NMR
After returning to Switzerland, Wüthrich worked with other famous scientists, including Nobel winner Richard R. Ernst. Together, they developed the first "two-dimensional" NMR experiments.
He also found a simple way to measure distances inside proteins using something called the nuclear Overhauser effect. This research helped scientists figure out the full structures of proteins like the bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor and glucagon.
Inspiring Young Scientists
In 2010, Kurt Wüthrich took part in a special event. It was called "Lunch with a Laureate" at the USA Science and Engineering Festival. During this event, middle and high school students could have an informal chat with a Nobel Prize winner. Wüthrich is also part of the festival's advisory board.
Awards and Special Recognitions
Kurt Wüthrich has received many important awards for his work:
- In 1991, he won the Louisa Gross Horwitz Prize from Columbia University.
- He received the Louis-Jeantet Prize for Medicine in 1993.
- In 1999, he was given the Otto Warburg Medal.
- He won half of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2002. This was for his work in using nuclear magnetic resonance to find the 3D shapes of biological macromolecules in liquid.
- In 2008, he received the Bijvoet Medal from Utrecht University.
- He became a Foreign Member of the Royal Society in 2010.
- In 2018, he was awarded the Fray International Sustainability Award.
A Bit About His Life
On April 2, 2018, Dr. Wüthrich officially became a permanent resident of Shanghai, China. He received a Chinese permanent residence card.
Want to Learn More?
In Spanish: Kurt Wüthrich para niños
