China News Service, October 7th. On October 7, local time, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences awarded the 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry to French scientist Emmanuelle Charpentier and American scientist Jennifer Dudner ( Jennifer A. Doudna) in recognition of their contributions to gene editing technology.

　　Looking back on the past winners, before reaping the glory and wealth, no one knew their loneliness and frustration, but the frustration in life did not dampen their enthusiasm for pursuing science; there are also many scientists who missed the Nobel Prize and stayed Regrets for the next life, but their achievements still benefit people today.

Data map: French scientist Emmanuelle Charpentier (left) and American scientist Jennifer A. Doudna.

Character Quick View

What are the 2 winners?

　　According to Nobel’s official website, Carpentier was born in Revisy-sur-Orge, France in 1968, and is the director of the Max Planck Institute for Etiology in Berlin, Germany; Dudner was born in Washington, DC, USA in 1964. He is a professor at the University of California, Berkeley, and the Howard Hughes Institute of Medical Research.

　　The reason for the two winners was "developed a genome editing method."

　　According to reports, they have developed one of the sharpest tools in genetic technology: CRISPR/Cas9 "gene scissors".

Using these technologies, researchers can change the DNA of animals, plants, and microorganisms with extreme precision.

　　Nobel Prize official website stated that this technology has a revolutionary impact on life sciences, can help researchers develop new cancer treatments, and make the dream of curing genetic diseases a reality.

A hundred years of wind and rain

Look at crossover masters and "the strongest family"

　　Alfred Nobel, the founder of the Nobel Prize, occupies a pivotal position in the history of chemistry.

During his lifetime, he obtained 355 patents, and he is famous for his invention of nitroglycerin oil.

Data map: On December 7, 2017, local time, Stockholm, Sweden, the Nobel Prize winners attended the press conference and they are about to participate in the award ceremony.

　　The "119-year-old" Nobel Prize in Chemistry is also a chronicle of scientists who have made major achievements in the field of chemistry.

　　Since 1901, the Nobel Prize in Chemistry has been awarded 111 times.

As of 2019, 183 people have won awards, of which only 5 were women.

　　Among the many winners, there are two "cross-border masters", namely, the wife of the French scientific home more than 100 years ago and the American chemist Linus Pauling more than half a century ago.

　　After winning the Physics Prize in 1903, Madame Curie won the Chemistry Prize for her research in radiochemistry in 1911.

After Pauling won the Chemistry Prize in 1954, he received the 1962 Peace Prize for his actions against the ground testing of nuclear bombs.

　　Madame Curie is not only the first scientist in the world to win two Nobel Prizes, she and her family are the "strongest family" in the history of the Nobel Prize.

　　The Curies won the Nobel Prize in Physics together.

More than 30 years later, Irena, the eldest daughter of Marie Curie, and her husband also won the Chemistry Prize for their research on artificial radioactivity.

　　Although Marie Curie's youngest daughter, Eve Curie, did not engage in scientific research, in 1965, her husband and American diplomat Henry Raboise won the Nobel Peace Prize on behalf of UNICEF.

Data map: On December 10, 2018, local time, Stockholm, Sweden, the Nobel Prize Dinner was held. Nobel Prize winners, members of the Swedish royal family and many celebrities attended.

Surprise call

"In the first week of October, I had a little insomnia"

　　For many scientists, the moment they learned that they won the Nobel Prize is the most memorable moment in their lives.

　　A few minutes before the announcement of the Nobel Prize, the jury will call to notify the winners.

After receiving a call from Sweden, in addition to being excited, the winners were more incredible and unbelievable.

　　In 2007, German scientist Gerhard Ettel won an award for his outstanding contributions in the field of surface chemistry research.

The day he received the call happened to be his 71st birthday.

　　He said that this is a "birthday gift that can only be given once in a lifetime", "I was so excited that I couldn't speak, and then shed tears."

Data map: Francis Arnold, winner of the 2018 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, signs his signature on a chair in the Nobel Museum.

　　When Eric Betzger, winner of the 2014 Chemistry Prize, received the call, he thought, "Who would call me at 5:30 in the morning Eastern Time? Could something happen at home?"

After trembling for 20 seconds and then saying "OK" to the other end of the phone for another 20 seconds, Betzger hung up in shock.

　　Due to the time difference, "surprise calls" usually occur at night.

Scientists sometimes have to stay up late to wait because of expectations.

　　The 2008 Chemistry Prize winner Martin Charfer said: "When the first week of October comes, you will have a little insomnia." But he was "insomniac" and missed this important call.

　　Charfee is not the only one who has not received the call.

In 1991, Swiss scientist Richard Ernst was in the air and learned that he had won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

He was on the way from Moscow to New York, and it was the captain who relayed the good news to him.

Walk alone

"Because of curiosity" and "tortoise spirit"

　　After learning of the award, the next "highlight" is the award ceremony.

Scientists will receive certificates, medals and bonus checks from the King of Sweden under the spotlight of the world's attention and reap glory and wealth.

But before this glorious moment, they had also experienced the pain of failure and walked alone on the road of science.

Data map: On October 9, 2019 local time, Nobel Prize winner Akira Yoshino attended a press conference in Tokyo, Japan.

　　Japanese scholar Akira Yoshino won the 2019 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his outstanding contributions to the development of lithium batteries.

He recalled that after the development of lithium batteries, they could not be sold at all for the first three years, and they were under great mental and physical pressure.

Nowadays, the widespread use of lithium batteries has allowed telephones and computers to get rid of sockets, allowing people to enter the era of mobile communications.

　　Someone asked Akira Yoshino: "Did you do this research for the benefit of mankind or to make money?" Akira Yoshino said, neither is it. He did research only because of his "curiosity."

　　American scientist John Goodenough, who won the award with Akira Yoshino, was 97 years old at the time, and he broke the record for the oldest Nobel Prize winner.

　　Gudinav suffered from dyslexia when he was young, and he chose to study physics at the age of 24. He discovered lithium cobalt oxide at the age of 57, which solved the problem that lithium batteries are prone to produce dendrites and cause explosions in the early stage.

At the age of 75, he developed a new material, lithium iron phosphate, which accelerated the commercialization of lithium batteries.

　　He once said: "Some of us are like tortoises, walking slowly, struggling all the way, maybe we haven't found a way out by the age of thirty, but these tortoises must continue to crawl."

　　The Nobel Prize winners sometimes not only face bottlenecks in their careers, but also the setbacks in their lives.

　　In 2018, American scholar Francis Arnold won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

Arnold's first husband died of cancer, her former partner committed suicide, and her son died in an accident.

Arnold himself had also suffered from breast cancer.

　　But these sufferings did not "break down" Arnold. She once said in a speech, "You have a responsibility to use your knowledge to make the world a better place, not just for yourself and your family."

It is the pursuit of science that has given her great strength and helped her overcome the difficulties in life.

Outside the spotlight

They are connected with science, but rub shoulders with the Nobel Prize

　　Years of hard work has been affirmed by the Nobel Prize, which is bound to make people happy, but in the long river of 100 years, it is inevitable that there will be "legacy beads".

Data map: On December 10, 2016, local time, the Nobel Prize Presentation Ceremony was held in Stockholm, Sweden. The picture shows King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden (right) as one of the winners of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Bernard ·Feringa awards.

　　Many people have left a strong mark in the history of science, but unfortunately rub shoulders with the Nobel Prize.

But even if they did not make it to the podium, they cannot deny their contribution to the world.

　　The most regrettable of these may be the Russian chemist Mendeleev.

The periodic table of the elements he developed is one of the basic laws of the universe, and it also provides a precise ruler for mankind to understand nature.

　　Mendeleev was nominated for the Nobel Prize 9 times, the last time was in 1906, but because some judges thought it was "difficult to evaluate who discovered the periodic table in theory", Mendeleev finally failed to win the prize.

The following year, 73-year-old Mendeleev died of illness.

　　Also regrettable, there is also the American chemist Gilbert Lewis, one of the founders of chemical thermodynamics, who has been nominated for 41 Nobel Prizes, but failed to win the Nobel Prize.

Louis has taught at the University of California, Berkeley for more than 30 years. Although he himself missed the Nobel Prize, he has cultivated at least 5 Nobel Prize winners.

　　Even more tragic is the American chemist Wallace Carothers.

Carothers began to explore the polymer world in 1928. In 1935, he and his team invented nylon. This material promoted the development of fashion trends. It can also be seen everywhere in daily necessities such as automobiles, electronic equipment, and umbrellas.

But Carothers committed suicide in 1937 due to depression. Scientists said that if Carothers was still alive, sooner or later the Nobel Prize would be his "what's in the bag".

　　Over the centuries, the joy and regret of scientists have become the mark of history.

Whether it is the pride on the podium or the silent work in the laboratory, they have never forgotten their original intention to pursue science.

(Finish)