INTERCONNECTS

ARLINGTON, Va. -- The chemical industry congratulates the 2002 recipients of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for their seminal work in developing powerful new analytical methods for studying biological "big molecules," or macromolecules, such as proteins in and out of their natural environment. These breakthroughs make it possible for scientists to identify proteins and to recreate 3-dimensional images of the molecule, making related research much more efficient. Similar improvements in analytical methods and computing power only recently made very complex genomics research possible. In a human cell there is only one gene, but there are tens of thousands of proteins, so protein- level research -- "proteomics" -- is even more complex. By using these analytical tools to work with individual proteins, chemists someday will unlock the doors to new pharmaceuticals, cancer diagnosing tools and food processing methods. John B. Fenn (Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia), Koichi Tanaka (Shimadzu Corp., Kyoto, Japan) and Kurt Wuthrich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, Switzerland, and The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California) were honored for their work in developing these new analytical methods. "Chemists have a greater set of tools to complete their work, fighting sickness and improving everyday life, because of these innovations," stated American Chemistry Council President and CEO Greg Lebedev. "Chemistry and its connections with biology are answering the most challenging concerns facing humanity. These advancements provide additional opportunities for the dedicated teams of our member companies to unleash future miracles in medical research, food production, hygiene and energy ... helping us live safer, healthier and happier lives."