The Nobel Prize is a set of annual international awards bestowed in six different categories by Swedish and Norwegian institutions in recognition of academic, cultural, or scientific advances. These six different categories include outstanding work in physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature, economics (since 1969), and the promotion of peace. The Nobel Prizes, first awarded in 1901, were established by the will of Alfred Nobel and are traditionally awarded on December 10, the anniversary of his death. Each year, thousands of members of academies, university professors, scientists, previous Nobel Laureates and members of parliamentary assemblies and others, are asked to submit candidates for the Nobel Prizes for the coming year. The awards are later decided by boards of deputies appointed by Swedish learned societies and, in the case of the peace prize, by the Norwegian Parliament.
Let’s get to know the fact about the women who have been awarded this very prize till now. Till now 51 women in total have been awarded the Nobel Prize between 1901 and 2018. Only one woman, Marie Curie, has been honored twice, with the 1903 Nobel Prize in Physics and the 1911 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. This makes that the Nobel Prize has been awarded to women 52 times!
As a chemistry student, I keep my eyes open and remain curious about the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Most importantly, I check how many women have won the prize. Although, women have progressed a lot in chemistry comparatively few women have won this outstanding prize. Up to now, 5 women have won this prize whereas 175 men have been awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
The low number of women who have won certainly isn’t down to a lack of meritorious nominees. Rosalind Franklin, a commonly cited example, was not awarded a Nobel Prize for her work towards the discovery of the structure of the DNA. However, this was due to her death prior to the award of the prize which rewarded the discovery, and the Nobel Prize is not awarded posthumously. Apart from Franklin, there are plenty of other examples of women who could have won a Nobel Prize but didn’t. One of the most notable is Lise Meitner, considered to be amongst the biggest Nobel snubs. She was nominated a combined 48 times for the chemistry and physics prizes for her part in the discovery of the nuclear fission of uranium. The man she led a research group with, Otto Hahn, was awarded a Nobel Prize for this discovery in 1944, but her contributions were not recognized. In the history of the Nobel Prize, there are some overlooks which are worth a read. Though there’s still a way to go, let’s hope that this is indicative of women in chemistry more regularly being recognized for their achievements.
The five women who have won the Nobel Prize are:
1. Marie Curie (1911): Awarded the Nobel Prize “in recognition of her services to the advancement of chemistry by the discovery of the elements radium and polonium, by the isolation of radium and the study of the nature and compounds of this remarkable element.”
2. Irène Joliot-Curie (1935): Awarded the Nobel Prize jointly with her husband, Frédéric Joliot, “in recognition of their synthesis of new radioactive elements.”
3. Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin (1964): Awarded the Nobel Prize ”for her determinations by X-ray techniques of the structures of important biochemical substances.”
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5. Frances H. Arnold (2018): Jointly with George P. Smith and Sir Gregory P. Winter“for the directed evolution of enzymes”
Arnold conducted the first directed evolution of enzymes, proteins that catalyze chemical reactions. Smith developed a method, known as phage display, in which a virus that infects bacteria can be used to evolve new proteins. Winter has used phage display to produce new pharmaceuticals. The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences said the scientists had managed to harness the power of evolution in test tubes. Enzymes produced through directed evolution are used to manufacture everything from biofuels to medical treatments. Phage display has produced antibodies that can neutralize toxins, counteract autoimmune diseases and even cure metastatic cancer.
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