GoKawiilAda Yonath, Nobel-winning ribosome crystallographer, dies at 87
Israeli structural biologist Ada Yonath, who won a share of the 2009 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for revealing the ribosome's structure through X-ray crystallography, has died at age 87. She was the first scientist to grow crystals suitable for mapping this cellular protein-making machinery, and her later work on antibiotic-ribosome interactions illuminated drug resistance mechanisms.
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Yonath's crystallization breakthrough opened the door to understanding how antibiotics disrupt bacterial function, directly informing modern drug design efforts amid rising antibiotic resistance. Her career also marked a rare milestone for women in science, as only the fourth woman and first in 45 years to win the chemistry Nobel.
- Yonath pioneered X-ray-ready crystal growth methods for studying the ribosome's structure.
- Her Nobel Prize-winning research helped explain how antibiotics target bacterial ribosomes.
- She was the fourth woman ever to win the Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
Nature's Wonders Ribosome Molecular Model / 3D molecular structure kit — Yonath's breakthrough was making the ribosome's structure visible, and a hands-on molecular model kit lets you build and rotate biomolecular structures yourself. It's a great way for students and curious readers to grasp why three-dimensional shape matters so much in how antibiotics bind their targets.
See Nature's Wonders Ribosome Molecular Model / 3D molecular structure kit on Amazon → Affiliate link — we may earn a commission on purchases, at no extra cost to you. Product picked by AI based on this article; it is not a tested recommendation.Source: nature.com — Ferry, 2026-09-04
Published there as: “Ada Yonath obituary: Crystallographer who overcame ‘impossible’ challenge of mapping the ribosome”
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