The field of Molecular Biology has been shaped by the accomplishments of numerous
Nobel Prize-winning scientists in the areas of Chemistry, Physiology and Medicine. To
gain an appreciation of how important these contributions have been to the field, each
student will be randomly assigned one Nobel Laureate to research (see below for a partial
list). The different aspects to be covered in this assignment are:
Section (1) – Introduction
Biographical background, education/training and research of the scientist prior to
winning the Nobel Prize.
Section (2) – The Awarding of the Nobel Prize
Reasons why the scientist received the Nobel Prize
a) Succinctly state the discovery for which the Nobel Prize was awarded
b) In more detail, describe the nature of the discovery
c) Explain the significance of these finding(s).
What technical hurdles were overcome? What gaps in the field were filled in?
How has the discovery advanced the field of Molecular Biology?
Why did this work warrant a Nobel Prize?
Section (3) – Post-Nobel Prize Activity
Areas of study and accomplishments after receiving the Nobel Prize
Section (4) – Primary Paper Analysis
Among the scientist’s publications, identify the primary paper best associated with their
Nobel Prize. This will be a highly cited, landmark paper and is often the first report of
the Nobel Prize-winning discovery. For some Nobel Laureates, more than one paper may
be considered equally important for the award; in these cases, the student need only
choose one of the papers. If there are primary papers you would like to review but cannot
access, the instructor may be able to find them for you, so please ask. Upon choosing
your primary article, you must check with the instructor to ensure that it is suitable.
To some extent, the effort that you make in finding the appropriate paper will be reflected
in your grade. Do not send the instructor a long list of articles published by the Nobel
Laureate and expect to be told which is the most appropriate for the assignment.
For your chosen primary paper:
a) Provide the complete citation for the article at the beginning of this section.
b) Justify your paper choice. Why was this particular paper instrumental for the
scientist being awarded the Nobel Prize?
c) Describe the main aspects of the paper (similar to the Literature Summaries
completed throughout the semester, but in more detail):
What question(s) were being asked? What techniques were used to answer
these question(s)? What results were attained? What were the major
conclusions of the study?