Dr. Knowles
received the
Royal Swedish
Academy of Sciences’
2001 Nobel Prize
in Chemistry
for the development
of catalytic
asymmetric synthesis,
which allowed
for the production
of L-DOPA by
direct chemical
synthesis without
producing the
molecule's mirror
image. With
Ryoji Noyorii
of Nagoya University
in Japan and
K. Barry Sharpless,
Scripps Research
Institute, Dr.
Knolwles opened
a new field
of research,
making it possible
to synthesize
molecules and
material with
new properties.
The results
of their basic
research are
being used in
a number of
industrial syntheses
of pharmaceutical
products such
as antibiotics,
anti-inflammatory
drugs and heart
medicines.
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