Biotechnology and Medical Technology

Kurt Wüthrich

Switzerland / October 4, 1938
Structural Biologist; Professor, Molecular Biophysics and Chairman, Department of Biology, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH)

Expanding the conventional nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) technique, Dr. Wüthrich developed a method of determining the conformations of proteins, nucleic acids and other biomacromolecules as such in solutions or biomembranes, where they exhibit their function. This achievement made an unprecedented contribution to structural and molecular biology, representing a great advance in biotechnology.

BRIEF BIOGRAPHY

1938	Born in Aarberg, Switzerland
1962	Graduated from Licentiate in chemistry, physics and mathematics, University of Bern, Switzerland
1964	Ph. D. in chemistry, University of Basel, Switzerland
1972	Assistant Professor, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zürich
1980-present	Professor, Molecular Biophysics, ETH Zürich
1995-present	Chairman, Department of Biology, ETH Z rich

AWARDS AND HONORS

1986	M daille P. Bruylants, Universit Catholique de Louvain
1990	Stein and Moore Award, the Protein Society
1992	Marcel Benoist Prize, The Swiss Confederation
1993	Prix Louis Jeantet de Mêdicine, Foundation Louis Jeantet, Genêve
1996	KajêLinderstr m-Lang Prize, Carlsberg Foundation, Copenhagen
	Member, Deutsche Akademie der Naturforscher Leopoldina Member, Academia Europaca Foreign Associate, US National Academy of Sciences Honorary Member, Japanese Biochemical Society

MAJOR WORKS

1978	Dynamic model of globular Protein Conformations based on NMR studies in solution, with G. Wagner, Nature 275
1986	Studies by 1H nuclear magnetic resonance and distance geometry of the solution conformation of the -amylase inhibitor Tendamistat, A. D. Kline and others, J. Mol. Biol. 189
1986	NMR of Proteins and Nucleic Acids, Wiley, New York
1989	Protein structure determination in solution by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, Science 243
1991	Protein hydration in aqueous solution, with G. Otting and other, Science 254
1992	NMR determination of residual structure in a urea-denatured protein, the 434 repressor, with D. Neri and others, Science 257
1996	NMR structure of the mouse prion protein domain PrP (121-231), with R. Riek and others, Nature 382

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