Hallym University Hangang Sacred Heart Hospital

Dr. Ada Yonath, Israeli protein crystallographer who was awarded the 2009 Nobel Prize for Chemistry, gave a special lecture on June 26, 2019 at Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital.

She introduced ribosome research process, which she has been working on for the last 30 years, and elaborated on next generation antibiotic to be used to cure super bacteria.

“I would like to find fundamental answers to the questions on life of human. Using antibiotics caused drug-resistant bacteria to be spread out, threatening life of human,” said Dr. Yonath. “Research on ribosome and inventing new drugs are not enough. There should be next generation antibiotics that is specific bacteria targeted, has no negative side effects, not poisonous, and can be biodegraded.” She added.

Dr. Ada Yonath was born in Jerusalem, Israel, in 1939. She worked on molecular biology at the German non-profit association Max-Planck-Gesellschaft (Max Planck Society) from 1979 to 1984. She was awarded the 2009 Nobel Prize for Chemistry for revealing how antibiotic restrains bacteria’s protein regeneration, which was the first Middle East Asian and the fourth female to be awarded the Prize. She is now passionate in researching next generation antibiotics through applied research on ribosome at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel.

By Yongjae Kim, Int’l Cooperation Team, HUMC (yongjae@hallym.or.kr)