Nobel Prizes: Protein Structure, Ethology and Cell Architecture

The present book offers an in-depth analysis of the Nobel Prize in chemistry in 1972 and the Nobel Prizes in physiology or medicine (1972-74) using the unique Nobel archive materials that can become available by permission after 50 years of secrecy. The perspective by the author is unique for the years 1973-74, since he himself was an adjunct member of the Nobel Prize committee at the Karolinska Institute during these years and he participated in providing the recommendation to the Medical Faculty, which took the final decision.The Nobel Prize in chemistry in 1972 recognized the insights gained into the central problem of protein folding. The prize was split with one half to Christian B. Anfinsen and the other half to Stanford Moore and William H Stein. Over time, important further insights have been gained into this important field of research as discussed in the book. As late as 2024 another Nobel Prize in chemistry 'for computational protein design' was awarded to two scientists from the UK and one from the USA. The prize in physiology or medicine in 1972 recognized the important characterization of the structure of immunoglobulin G by Gerald M. Edelman and Rodney R. Porter. Their work provided a foundation for many subsequent Nobel Prizes in physiology or medicine, recognizing the importance of several critical discoveries in the complex and important field of immunology.The Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine in 1973 was exceptional. It recognized the founding fathers of the field of animal behavior (ethology), Karl von Frisch, Konrad Lorenz and Nikolaas Tinbergen. It was concluded at the time that insights gained in this field were of potential value for the development of psychiatric care of patients in human medicine.Finally, the 1974 Nobel prize in physiology or medicine recognized the founding fathers of the science of architecture of cells. The scientists Albert Claude, Christian de Duve and George E Palade pioneered cell biology studies during the 1950s and 1960s at The Rockefeller Institute (later The Rockefeller University). Insights into the detailed structure of the multitude of cellular organelles and the consequential possibilities to determine their unique biochemical structures have revolutionized the understanding of the way cells operate and hence given insights into functional errors that may lead to diseases.