2017 Nobel Prize in chemistry has gone to three scientists for their work on photographing molecules. Professors Jacques Dubochet, Joachim Frank and Richard Henderson will share $1,090,000 prize. They developed special way of taking photos of molecules. Molecules are very smallest building blocks that make up cells in our body. Everything and everyone is made of molecules. three chemists developed technique called cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM). This allows scientists to zoom in to amazing new levels. Scientists can now see things in our bodies that we have never seen before. They can see how building blocks of life move.
Nobel Prize committee said new cryo-EM technique will change science forever. It said technique has "moved biochemistry into new era". The Nobel chairperson said: "Soon, there will be no more secrets. Now we can see intricate details of biomolecules in every corner of our cells and every drop of our body fluids. We can understand how they are built and how they act and how they work together in large communities. We are facing revolution in biochemistry." Professor Frank said practical uses for technique were "immense". Cryo-EM will mean scientists can look at building blocks of viruses. This means we will find cures for many diseases.
