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Richard Henderson: Scientist who won the Nobel Prize for cryo-electron microscopy comes to Brazil Scientist Richard Henderson, Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2017 for developing a new way to obtain high-resolution three-dimensional images of biological molecules such as proteins, DNA and RNA, will be in Brazil to participate in the 20th IUPAB Congress, 45th Annual SBBf Meeting, and 49th Annual SBBq Meeting, to be held together. |
| Henderson, from MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK, shared the Nobel with Jacques Dubochet and Joachim Frank for developing cryo-electron microscopy for the high-resolution structure determination of biomolecules in solution. The electron microscope uses electron beams instead of light to create more accurate resolution images, but electron bombardment damages biological structures. Richard Henderson managed to find a way to overcome this problem, combining weaker rays and mathematical analysis. Using cryo-electron microscopy, researchers can now freeze biomolecules mid-movement and portray them at atomic resolution. “Now we can see the intricate details of the biomolecules in every corner of our cells, in every drop of our body fluids. We are facing a revolution in biochemistry,” said Sara S. Linse, member of the Nobel Committee. | |
