Knowra Frances Arnold Frances Arnold Frances Arnold is an American chemical engineer who pioneered directed evolution, a method for engineering enzymes through repeated mutation and selection. She received the 2018 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
Directed evolution : A method for improving biological molecules through repeated cycles of genetic variation and selection. Arnold established its use for engineering enzymes without requiring a complete mechanistic design.
Biocatalysis : The use of enzymes or whole cells to catalyze chemical reactions. Directed evolution supplies biocatalysts tailored to reactions and conditions useful in manufacturing.
Nobel Prize in Chemistry : An annual international award recognizing major contributions to chemistry. Arnold shared the 2018 prize for the directed evolution of enzymes.
Frances Arnold laboratory : The Caltech research group led by Frances Arnold, focused on protein engineering and directed evolution. Its experiments developed and demonstrated directed evolution as a method for engineering enzymes.
Directed evolution of enzymes : The improvement of enzymes through repeated cycles of mutation and experimental selection. This is the specific research achievement recognized by Arnold’s 2018 Nobel Prize.
Enzyme engineering : The design or modification of enzymes to change their properties or performance. Arnold’s methods made enzyme improvement possible even when its molecular basis was poorly understood.
Industrial biotechnology : The application of biological systems to produce chemicals, materials, fuels, or other industrial goods. Arnold’s engineered enzymes demonstrate how evolution can improve industrial biological processes.
George P. Smith : An American biochemist who developed phage display, a method for linking proteins to the genes that encode them. Smith shared the 2018 Chemistry Nobel for phage display, another method for evolving proteins.
Subtilisin E : A bacterial serine protease used in research on protein structure, function, and engineering. Arnold’s early directed-evolution work altered this enzyme to function in an organic solvent.
Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2018 : The 2018 Nobel award recognizing Frances Arnold, George P. Smith, and Gregory Winter for directed evolution and phage display. The award brought international recognition to Arnold’s enzyme-evolution work alongside protein-display research.
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