Ada Yonath, Nobel Laureate in Chemistry, Dies at 87

Professor Ada Yonath, a Nobel laureate in Chemistry, passed away on Monday at the age of 87. Yonath, affiliated with the Department of Structural Biology and Chemistry at the Weizmann Institute of Science, was a pioneer in the study of the ribosome, often called the "protein factory of the cell." She was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2009 for her groundbreaking research in this field.

The Weizmann Institute described Yonath as an "international model of uncompromising scientific vision." Professor Alon Chen, President of the Weizmann Institute, eulogized her as an "extraordinary scientist" who fearlessly pursued unconventional paths with determination, curiosity, and courage for decades. Her work on the ribosome fundamentally changed the understanding of a core life process and opened new avenues for combating antibiotic resistance. Chen added that Yonath's legacy extends beyond her scientific achievements, inspiring generations of scientists to ask big questions and persistently seek answers.

Throughout her distinguished career, Yonath received numerous accolades in addition to the Nobel Prize. These included the European Crystallographic Association's first prize (2000), the Israel Prize in Chemistry (2002), the Anfinsen Award from the International Society for Proteins (2003), the Paul Karrer Gold Medal from the University of Zurich (2004), the Massry Prize (2004), the Louisa Gross Horwitz Prize from Columbia University (2005), the Rothschild Prize in Life Sciences (2006), the EMET Prize in Life Sciences (2006), the Wolf Prize in Chemistry (2006/7), the L'Oréal-UNESCO Award for Women in Science (2008), the World Prize Albert Einstein for Science (2008), the Marie Curie Medal from the Polish Chemical Society (2011), and the Röntgen Medal (2015).