National Institute of
NIGMS-Supported Nobelists
The National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) has a strong track record of funding scientists who receive a Nobel Prize. The Nobel Prize was created by Swedish inventor Alfred Nobel. The international award has been given yearly since 1901 for achievements in physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature, and peace. Another category, economics, was added by the Nobel Foundation in 1968. Winners receive their awards on December 10, the anniversary of Nobel's death. For more facts about the Nobel Prize, visit https://www.nobelprize.org/.
Since its creation in 1962, NIGMS has supported the work of 97 Nobel laureates—46 in physiology or medicine and 51 in chemistry. These investigators perform cutting-edge basic research that is the foundation for understanding normal life processes and disease. Such important breakthroughs in chemistry and biology often lead to more focused research that, years later, leads to important medical advances or products such as medicines or biotechnology tools.
| Name | Year | Field | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| David Baker | 2024 | Chemistry | For computational protein design |
| Victor Ambros & Gary Ruvkun
| 2024 | Physiology or Medicine | For the discovery of microRNA and its role in post-transcriptional gene regulation |
| Carolyn R. Bertozzi & K. Barry Sharpless | 2022 | Chemistry | For the development of click chemistry and bioorthogonal chemistry |
| David W.C. MacMillan | 2021 | Chemistry | For the development of asymmetric organocatalysis |
| David Julius | 2021 | Physiology or Medicine | For discoveries of receptors for temperature and touch |
| Jennifer A. Doudna | 2020 | Chemistry | For the development of a method for genome editing |
| Frances H. Arnold & George P. Smith | 2018 | Chemistry | For the directed evolution of enzymes and for the phage display of peptides and antibodies |
| Joachim Frank | 2017 | Chemistry | For developing cryo-electron microscopy for the high-resolution structure determination of biomolecules in solution |
| Jeffrey C. Hall, Michael Rosbash, & Michael W. Young | 2017 | Physiology or Medicine | For their discoveries of molecular mechanisms controlling the circadian rhythm |
| Paul Modrich & Aziz Sancar | 2015 | Chemistry | For mechanistic studies of DNA repair |
| William E. Moerner | 2014 | Chemistry | For the development of super-resolved fluorescence microscopy |
| Martin Karplus, Michael Levitt & Arieh Warshel | 2013 | Chemistry | For the development of multiscale models for complex chemical systems |
| James E. Rothman & Randy W. Schekman | 2013 | Physiology or Medicine | For their discoveries of machinery regulating vesicle traffic, a major transport system in our cells |
| Brian K. Kobilka | 2012 | Chemistry | For studies of G-protein-coupled receptors |
| Ei-ichi Negishi | 2010 | Chemistry | For palladium-catalyzed cross couplings in organic synthesis |
| Venkatraman Ramakrishnan, Thomas A. Steitz & Ada E. Yonath | 2009 | Chemistry | For studies of the structure and function of the ribosome |
| Elizabeth H. Blackburn, Carol W. Greider & Jack W. Szostak | 2009 | Physiology or Medicine | For the discovery of how chromosomes are protected by telomeres and the enzyme telomerase |
| Osamu Shimomura, Martin Chalfie & Roger Y. Tsien | 2008 | Chemistry | For the discovery and development of the green fluorescent protein, GFP |
| Mario R. Capecchi & Oliver Smithies | 2007 | Physiology or Medicine | For the discovery of principles for introducing specific gene modifications in mice by the use of embryonic stem cells |
| Roger D. Kornberg | 2006 | Chemistry | For his studies of the molecular basis of eukaryotic transcription |
| Andrew Z. Fire & Craig C. Mello | 2006 | Physiology or Medicine | For the discovery of RNA interference—gene silencing by double-stranded RNA |
| Robert H. Grubbs & Richard R. Schrock | 2005 | Chemistry | For the development of the metathesis method in organic synthesis [a chemical reaction for making carbon-carbon bonds] |
| Avram Hershko & Irwin Rose | 2004 | Chemistry | For the discovery of ubiquitin-mediated protein degradation |
| Paul C. Lauterbur | 2003 | Physiology or Medicine | For discoveries concerning magnetic resonance imaging |
| Roderick MacKinnon | 2003 | Chemistry | For discoveries concerning channels in cell membranes [specifically, for structural and mechanistic studies of ion channels] |
| H. Robert Horvitz | 2002 | Physiology or Medicine | For discoveries concerning genetic regulation of organ development and programmed cell death |
| John B. Fenn | 2002 | Chemistry | For the development of methods for identification and structure analyses of biological macromolecules [specifically, for techniquesin mass spectrometry] |
| Leland H. Hartwell | 2001 | Physiology or Medicine | For discoveries of key regulators of the cell cycle |
| K. Barry Sharpless | 2001 | Chemistry | For work on chirally catalyzed oxidation reactions [a technique to selectively control the outcome of chemical reactions] |
| Eric R. Kandel | 2000 | Physiology or Medicine | For discoveries concerning signal transduction in the nervous system |
| Günter Blobel | 1999 | Physiology or Medicine | For the discovery that proteins have intrinsic signals that govern their transport and localization in the cell |
| John A. Pople | 1998 | Chemistry | For development of computational methods in quantum chemistry |
| Paul D. Boyer | 1997 | Chemistry | For elucidation of the enzymatic mechanism underlying the synthesis of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) |
| Stanley B. Prusiner | 1997 | Physiology or Medicine | For discovery of prions—a new biological principle of infection |
| Edward B. Lewis | 1995 | Physiology or Medicine | For discoveries concerning the genetic control of early embryonic development |
| George A. Olah | 1994 | Chemistry | For contributions to carbocation chemistry |
| Alfred G. Gilman | 1994 | Physiology or Medicine | For discovery of G-proteins and the role of these proteins in signal transduction in cells |
| Kary B. Mullis | 1993 | Chemistry | For contributions to the developments of methods within DNA- based chemistry [specifically, for his invention of the polymerasechain reaction (PCR) method] |
| Michael Smith | 1993 | Chemistry | For contributions to the development of methods within DNA-based chemistry [specifically, for his fundamental contributions to the establishment of oligonucleotide-based, site-directed mutagenesis and its development for protein studies] |
| Richard J. Roberts & Phillip A. Sharp | 1993 | Physiology or Medicine | For discoveries of split-genes |
| Edmond H. Fischer & Edwin G. Krebs | 1992 | Physiology or Medicine | For discoveries concerning reversible protein phosphorylation as a biological regulatory mechanism |
| Elias J. Corey | 1990 | Chemistry | For development of the theory and methodology of organic synthesis |
| Sidney Altman & Thomas R. Cech | 1989 | Chemistry | For discovery of catalytic properties of RNA |
| Donald J. Cram | 1987 | Chemistry | For development and use of molecules with structure-specific interactions of high selectivity |
| Stanley Cohen | 1986 | Physiology or Medicine | For discoveries of growth factors |
| Herbert A. Hauptman | 1985 | Chemistry | For outstanding achievements in the development of direct methods for the determination of crystal structures |
| Michael S. Brown & Joseph L. Goldstein | 1985 | Physiology or Medicine | For discoveries concerning the regulation of cholesterol metabolism |
| Henry Taube | 1983 | Chemistry | For work on the mechanisms of electron transfer reactions, especially in metal complexes |
| John R. Vane | 1982 | Physiology or Medicine | For discoveries concerning prostaglandins and related biologically active substances |
| Roald Hoffmann | 1981 | Chemistry | For theories, developed independently, concerning the course of chemical reactions |
| David H. Hubel | 1981 | Physiology or Medicine | For discoveries concerning information processing in the visual system |
| Paul Berg | 1980 | Chemistry | For fundamental studies of the biochemistry of nucleic acids, with particular regard to recombinant-DNA |
| Walter Gilbert | 1980 | Chemistry | For contributions concerning the determination of base sequences in nucleic acids |
| Herbert C. Brown | 1979 | Chemistry | For development of the use of boron- and phosphorus-containing compounds, respectively, into important reagents in organic synthesis |
| Daniel Nathans & Hamilton O. Smith | 1978 | Physiology or Medicine | For the discovery of restriction enzymes and their application to problems of molecular genetics |
| Andrew V. Schally | 1977 | Physiology or Medicine | For discoveries concerning the peptide hormone production of the brain |
| William N. Lipscomb | 1976 | Chemistry | For studies on the structure of boranes illuminating problems of chemical bonding |
| Christian de Duve & George E. Palade | 1974 | Physiology or Medicine | For discoveries concerning the structural and functional organization of the cell |
| Stanford Moore & William H. Stein | 1972 | Chemistry | For contributions to the understanding of the connection between chemical structure and catalytic activity of the active center of the ribonuclease molecule |
| Earl W. Sutherland, Jr. | 1971 | Physiology or Medicine | For discoveries concerning the mechanisms of the action of hormones |
| Luis F. Leloir | 1970 | Chemistry | For discovery of sugar nucleotides and their role in the biosynthesis of carbohydrates |
| Max Delbrück, Alfred D. Hershey & Salvador E. Luria | 1969 | Physiology or Medicine | For discoveries concerning the replication mechanism and the genetic structure of viruses |
| Lars Onsager | 1968 | Chemistry | For the discovery of the reciprocal relations bearing his name, which are fundamental for the thermodynamics of irreversible processes |
| Robert W. Holley & H. Gobind Khorana | 1968 | Physiology or Medicine | For interpretation of the genetic code and its function in protein synthesis |
| Charles B. Huggins | 1966 | Physiology or Medicine | For discoveries concerning hormonal treatment of prostatic cancer |
| Robert B. Woodward | 1965 | Chemistry | For outstanding achievements in the art of organic synthesis |
| Konrad Bloch | 1964 | Physiology or Medicine | For discoveries concerning the mechanism and regulation of thecholesterol and fatty acid metabolism |
| James D. Watson | 1962 | Physiology or Medicine | For discoveries concerning the molecular structure of nucleic acids and its significance for information transfer in living material |
This page last updated on
02/13/2025 3:12 PM