Protein research takes the Nobel Prize in Chemistry

The 2018 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to three scientists for their discoveries in the field of enzyme research.

The Americans Frances Arnold and George P. Smith will share the award with the British Gregory Winter, based at the University of Cambridge.

This year's laureates used a technique called directed evolution to create new enzymes that accelerate chemical reactions in biology.

These enzymes are used to make new drugs and green fuels.

Arnold will win half the price of nine million Swedish kroner (£ 770,686), while Smith and Winter will share the other half.

Previous winners of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry

2017 – Jacques Dubochet, Joachim Frank and Richard Henderson receive the prize for the improvement of images of biological molecules

2016 – Jean-Pierre Sauvage, Fraser Stoddart and Bernard Feringa share the price of machines to manufacture at the molecular level.

2015 – Discoveries in DNA repair earned Tomas Lindahl, Paul Modrich and Aziz Sancar.

2014 – Eric Betzig, Stefan Hell and William Moerner were awarded the prize for improving the resolution of optical microscopes.

2013 – Michael Levitt, Martin Karplus and Arieh Warshel share the award for designing computer-based chemical process simulations.

2012 – Works revealing how protein receptors transmit signals between living cells and the environment have been awarded by Robert Lefkowitz and Brian Kobilka.