The Nobel Prize

On 15 August 1955 Charles Townes, James Gordon and H. J. Zeiger published 'The Maser—New Type of Microwave Amplifier, Frequency Standard, and Spectrometermaser'. Their device was the forerunner to the laser, using microwaves whereas lasers use visible light. In this picture, Townes (left) and Gordon (right) pose with one of their newly built devices. Townes went on to receive the Nobel Prize in Physics for his role in the invention of the maser, and laser.

Gerty Cori uncovered the process of cellular energy storage and release, answering one of the most fundamental questions about how the human body works. In so doing, she and her husband and lifelong research partner, Carl, transformed the study of biology, proving that the clarity of molecular chemistry could and should be applied to the opaque mechanisms of biology. Cori was awarded the 1947 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. She was the first woman to be awarded the medicine prize. Learn more: https://bit.ly/2IgxsRF

"Jana Gana Mana" is the national anthem of India, originally composed in Bengali by poet Rabindranath Tagore, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913. Pictured: An English translation of Jana Gana Mana by Tagore

2018 chemistry laureate Frances Arnold on the evolution of science. In 1993, she conducted the first directed evolution of enzymes, which are proteins that catalyse chemical reactions. Learn more about Arnold's scientific contributions: https://t.co/mEcsOyHGXK

“I want journalists to die old.” – peace prize laureate and Russian journalist Dmitry Muratov. Muratov co-founded the newspaper Novaya Gazeta, which became a leading advocate for democracy and freedom of expression in Russia. The paper’s license was rescinded, and its website blocked in Russia in 2022, the year after he was awarded the peace prize. Along with more than 100 other journalists, Muratov has been designated a ‘foreign agent’. In the face of physical assaults and frequent threats in his home country, Muratov remains outspoken. He has criticised the government’s use of military force, denouncing the war in Ukraine as a futile bloodbath and shows no signs of stopping. He dedicated the Nobel Peace Prize 2021, which he shared with Maria Ressa to “true journalism,” and to his colleagues who had lost their lives doing their jobs. Learn more about their work: https://lnkd.in/d-jAqD95

Chemistry laureate Akira Yoshino: then and now. Yoshino's interest in chemistry was sparked when he received a copy of Michael Faraday's book 'The Chemical History of a Candle'. After studying technology at Kyoto University, he ultimately ended up developing the first commercially viable lithium-ion battery in 1985. These types of batteries are now used in everything from mobile phones to laptops and electric vehicles. Lightweight and rechargeable, they can also store significant amounts of energy from solar and wind power, making possible a fossil fuel-free society. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2019 alongside John Goodenough and Stanley Whittingham "for the development of lithium-ion batteries." Photos: Akira Yoshino aged 5; Akira Yoshino at the Nobel Prize Museum in 2019

"I don't have a job. I have a hobby." - Nobel Prize laureate Aaron Ciechanover shares his best career advice. #CareerAdvice

Around 157,000 organs are transplanted every year, giving sick patients another chance of life. Their operations are made possible by Joseph E. Murray and E. Donnall Thomas who enabled the development of organ and cell transplantation into a method for the treatment of human disease. Murray pioneered transplantation of kidneys obtained from deceased people and showed that patients with terminal renal insufficiency could be cured. The field was then open for transplantation of other organs such as liver, pancreas and heart. Thomas was successful in transplanting bone marrow cells from one individual to another. Bone marrow transplantation is used to cure severe inherited disorders such as thalassemia and disorders of the immune system as well as leukaemia. Together their work has helped tens of thousands of severely ill patients who have been cured or benefitted from an improved quality of life. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/eeppYiMj

At twenty-three years old, Richard Herrick (left) was suffering from incurable kidney failure and had been given just two years to live. His best hope was a pioneering procedure, which would require his healthy twin Ronald (right) to donate one of his own kidneys. On 23 December 1954 the two were wheeled into the operating theatre to undergo the experimental operation. It was to become the world’s first successful kidney transplant. Their surgeon was Joseph Murray who believed he could overcome the organ rejection that had caused previous attempts to fail by transplanting a kidney from an identical twin. His hypothesis was correct. Both patients made a good recovery. Richard even went onto marry the nurse that looked after him in hospital – together they had two children. In time scientists built on this knowledge, learning how to transplant organs between unrelated individuals by suppressing their immune systems. The success of the operation paved the way for other organ transplants such as liver, pancreas and heart. Today millions of lives have been saved thanks to organ donation and the generosity of people like Ronald that have donated organs to those in need. Discover more about Murray who went onto receive the Nobel Prize for his work: https://lnkd.in/e-uHsTpm

Frederick Sanger, who was born on this day in 1918, is one of only seven laureates to have received the Nobel Prize more than once.