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Ada Yonath

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Ada Yonath
עדה יונת
Yonath in 2013
Born
Ada Esther Lifshitz

(1939-06-22)22 June 1939
Jerusalem, Mandatory Palestine
Died31 August 2026(2026-08-31) (aged 87)
CitizenshipIsraeli
EducationHebrew University of Jerusalem (BSc, MSc)
Weizmann Institute of Science (PhD)
Known forCryo bio-crystallography
Awards
Scientific career
FieldsCrystallography
WorkplacesWeizmann Institute of Science
University of Chicago
Wolfie Traub, F. Albert Cotton

Ada Esther Yonath (Hebrew: עדה יונת, pronounced [ˈada joˈnat]; née Lifshitz; 22 June 1939 – 31 August 2026) was an Israeli crystallographer and Nobel laureate in chemistry, best known for her pioneering work on the structure of ribosomes. She was the director of the Helen and Milton A. Kimmelman Center for Biomolecular Structure and Assembly of the Weizmann Institute of Science.

In 2009, Yonath received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry along with Venkatraman Ramakrishnan and Thomas A. Steitz for her studies on the structure and function of the ribosome, becoming the first Israeli woman to win the Nobel Prize.[1]

Early life

[edit]

Ada Esther Lifshitz was born in the Geula quarter of Jerusalem on 22 June 1939.[2][3][4][5] Her parents, Hillel and Esther Lifshitz, were Zionist Jews who had immigrated to the British Mandate of Palestine (now Israel) from Zduńska Wola, Poland, in 1933 before the establishment of Israel.[6] Her father was a rabbi and came from a rabbinical family.[3] They settled in Jerusalem and ran a grocery, but found it difficult to make ends meet while also sharing a small apartment space to live in.[3][7]

Despite her family's poverty, her parents sent her to school in the upscale Beit HaKerem neighborhood to assure her a good education. When her father died at the age of 42, the family moved to Tel Aviv.[8] Yonath assisted her mother in bringing income by babysitting or tutoring children after her father's death.[7]

Education

[edit]

Yonath was accepted to Tichon Hadash high school although her mother could not pay the tuition. Yonath gave math lessons to students in return.[9][10] At a young age, she said, she was inspired by the scientist Marie Curie.[11] However, she stressed that Curie, whom she as a child was fascinated by after reading her biography, was not her "role model".[11] She returned to Jerusalem for college, graduating from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem with a bachelor's degree in chemistry in 1962, and a master's degree in biochemistry in 1964. In 1968, she obtained her PhD from the Weizmann Institute of Science for X-ray crystallographic studies on the structure of collagen, with Wolfie Traub as her PhD advisor.[12][10]

Scientific career

[edit]

Yonath accepted postdoctoral positions at Carnegie Mellon University (1969) and MIT (1970).[13] While a postdoctoral researcher at MIT she spent some time in the laboratory of subsequent 1976 chemistry Nobel Prize winner William N. Lipscomb, Jr. of Harvard University where she was inspired to pursue very large structures.[14]

Yonath at the Weizmann Institute of Science

In 1970, she established what was for nearly a decade the only protein crystallography laboratory in Israel. Then, from 1979 to 1984 she was a group leader with Heinz-Günter Wittmann at the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics in Berlin. She was a visiting professor at the University of Chicago in 1977–78.[15] She headed a Max-Planck Institute Research Unit at DESY in Hamburg, Germany (1986–2004) in parallel to her research activities at the Weizmann Institute.[16]

She focused on the mechanisms underlying protein biosynthesis, by ribosomal crystallography, a research line she pioneered over 20 years ago despite considerable skepticism of the international scientific community.[17] Ribosomes translate RNA into protein and because they have slightly different structures in microbes, when compared to eukaryotes, such as human cells, they are often a target for antibiotics. In 1993, she visualized the path taken by the nascent proteins, namely the ribosomal tunnel, and recently revealed the dynamics elements enabling its involvement in elongation arrest, gating, intra-cellular regulation and nascent chain trafficking into their folding space.[18]

In 2000 and 2001, she determined the complete high-resolution structures of both ribosomal subunits and discovered within the otherwise asymmetric ribosome, the universal symmetrical region that provides the framework and navigates the process of polypeptide polymerization. Consequently, she showed that the ribosome is a ribozyme that places its substrates in stereochemistry suitable for peptide bond formation and for substrate-mediated catalysis.[19]

Yonath at a press conference after winning the Nobel prize in 2009

Additionally, Yonath elucidated the modes of action of over twenty different antibiotics targeting the ribosome, illuminated mechanisms of drug resistance and synergism, deciphered the structural basis for antibiotic selectivity and showed how it plays a key role in clinical usefulness and therapeutic effectiveness, thus paving the way for structure-based drug design.[20]

For enabling ribosomal crystallography Yonath introduced a novel technique, cryo bio-crystallography, which became routine in structural biology and allowed intricate projects otherwise considered formidable.[21]

In 2009, Yonath received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry along with Venkatraman Ramakrishnan and Thomas A. Steitz for her studies on the structure and function of the ribosome, becoming the first Israeli woman to win the Nobel Prize out of ten Israeli Nobel laureates.[1] She also became the first woman from the Middle East to win a Nobel prize in the sciences,[22] and the first woman in 45 years to win the Nobel Prize for Chemistry.[23]

At the Weizmann Institute, Yonath was the director of the Martin S. and Helen Kimmel Professorial Chair.[24]

Personal life and death

[edit]

Yonath was married to Moshe Yonath. Their marriage ended in divorce.[3] They had one daughter, Hagit Yonath, a doctor at Sheba Medical Center, and a granddaughter, Noa.[25] Yonath was the cousin of anti-occupation activist Ruchama Marton as their mothers were sisters.[4]

Yonath died on 31 August 2026, at the age of 87.[26][27]

Legacy

[edit]
Yonath with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu at a session for the ISCA in 2017

As the first woman since 1964 to win the Nobel Prize in chemistry, and the first since Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin, 45 years previously. She was also the fourth of eight women ever to win the Nobel Prize in chemistry.[28] Although Yonath once remarked, “I am a scientist, not male or female. A scientist,”[28] her 2009 award was noted as a highlight for female scientists.[29] The Australian noted that Yonath's Nobel win was "crushing the lab's glass ceiling".[30] Regarded as an influential Israeli scientist, Yonath helped established the first protein crystallography laboratory in Israel.[27][31]

In 2018, while interviewing Yonath, UNESCO noted that her scientific research has also been "key to understanding how antibiotics work".[32]

Following her death, The New York Times noted that Yonath's mapping of the ribosome led to new designs for antibiotics.[3] Her work was noted as "boundary pushing" with it having "immediate and practical consequences" for medicine and in the "fight against infectious disease".[3] President Isaac Herzog noted Yonath as "one of the leading researchers in the history of Israeli science".[27] The Hindu also noted Yonath's academic impact, especially in India through her engagements in academic institutions in the country.[33]

Awards and recognition

[edit]
Telephone interview with Ada Yonath during the announcement of the Nobel Prize

Yonath was a member of the United States National Academy of Sciences; the American Academy of Arts and Sciences; the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities; the European Academy of Sciences and Art and the European Molecular Biology Organization.[34]

On 18 October 2014, Yonath was named an ordinary member of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences by Pope Francis.[35]

Her awards and honors included the following:

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. 1 2 Lappin, Yaakov (7 October 2009). "Nobel Prize Winner 'Happy, Shocked'". Jerusalem Post. Archived from the original on 19 February 2011. Retrieved 7 October 2009.
  2. ↑ "מנכ"ל המדינה (p. 4; 18.11.09 "ידיעות אחרונות") PDF" (PDF). syaga.co.il. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 April 2012. Retrieved 5 October 2011.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Ada Yonath, Chemist and First Israeli Woman to Receive a Nobel, Dies at 87". The New York Times. 1 September 2026. Retrieved 1 September 2026.
  4. 1 2 "Ada Yonath— L'Oréal-UNESCO Award". Jerusalem Post. 8 March 2008. Archived from the original on 17 January 2012.
  5. ↑ "Israel Prize Official Site (in Hebrew) – Recipient's C.V." Archived from the original on 18 April 2011. Retrieved 16 September 2009.
  6. ↑ Hargittai, I.; Hargittai, M. (2006). Candid Science VI: More Conversations with Famous Scientists. Imperial College Press. p. 390. ISBN 978-1-86094-885-5. Retrieved 9 March 2021. (In this source the surname is spelled Livshitz)
  7. 1 2 "Ada Yonath: Another Pioneering Woman in Science". U.S. Department of Energy. 25 March 2011. Retrieved 1 September 2026.
  8. ↑ "Israeli professor receives Life's Work Prize for women in science". Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 28 July 2008. Archived from the original on 29 March 2019. Retrieved 31 July 2008.
  9. ↑ Siegel-Itzkovich, Judy (17 January 2012). "Former 'village fool' takes the prize – Science and Environment – Jerusalem Post". fr.jpost.com. Archived from the original on 17 January 2012. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
  10. 1 2 Kandell, Jonathan (1 September 2026). "Ada Yonath, Chemist and First Israeli Woman to Receive a Nobel, Dies at 87". The New York Times. Retrieved 1 September 2026.
  11. 1 2 "Ada Yonath: Decoded the Secret of Life" (PDF). Vigyan 2047. 3 (8). Shanti Foundation: 20. August 2026. Retrieved 1 September 2026.
  12. ↑ "(IUCr) European Crystallography Prize". Journal of Applied Crystallography. 33 (4): 1195. August 2000. doi:10.1107/S0021889800008281.
  13. ↑ "The history of CMU's Nobel prize winners". The Tartan. Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. 10 November 2025. Archived from the original on 14 November 2025. Retrieved 31 August 2026.
  14. ↑ Yarnell, A. Lipscomb Feted in Honor of his 90th Birthday Archived 14 July 2014 at the Wayback Machine. Chemical and Engineering News, 87, 48, Am. Chem. Soc., p. 35, 30 November 2009.
  15. ↑ "New chemistry Nobelist was UChicago visiting prof, conducted research at Argonne". The University of Chicago. 8 October 2009. Archived from the original on 10 June 2010. Retrieved 27 November 2017.
  16. ↑ "EMBL supports the 'impossible': Mapping the ribosome". European Molecular Biology Laboratory. Archived from the original on 8 June 2026. Retrieved 31 August 2026.
  17. ↑ "The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2009 – Speed Read". nobelprize.org. Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 1 November 2009.
  18. ↑ "Professor Ada Yonath". London International Youth Science Forum (LIYSF). 24 October 2022. Archived from the original on 20 July 2026. Retrieved 31 August 2026.
  19. ↑ "Ada Yonath: Ribosome Mapping and Modern Antibiotic Design". Hasbara. Retrieved 31 August 2026.
  20. ↑ Yonath, Ada (July 2005). "Antibiotics Targeting ribosomes: Resistance, Selectivity, Synergism, and Cellular Regulation". Annual Review of Biochemistry. 74: 649–679. doi:10.1146/annurev.biochem.74.082803.133130. PMID 16180279.
  21. ↑ Hope, H.; Frolow, F.; von Böhlen, K.; Makowski, I.; Kratky, C.; Halfon, Y.; Danz, H.; Webster, P.; Bartels, K. S.; Wittmann, H. G.; Yonath, A. (1 April 1989). "Cryocrystallography of ribosomal particles". Acta Crystallographica Section B: Structural Science. 45 (2). International Union of Crystallography (IUCr): 190–199. Bibcode:1989AcCrB..45..190H. doi:10.1107/s0108768188013710. ISSN 0108-7681. PMID 2619959.
  22. ↑ Klenke, Karin (2011). Women in Leadership: Contextual Dynamics and Boundaries. Emerald Group Publishing Limited. p. 191. ISBN 978-0-85724-561-8.
  23. ↑ Yonath, Ada E. (7 October 2009). "Transcript of the telephone interview with Ada E. Yonath immediately following the announcement of the 2009 Nobel Prize in Chemistry". nobelprize.org (Interview). Interviewed by Smith, Adam. Archived from the original on 6 October 2015. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
  24. ↑ Wittung-Stafshede, Pernilla. "Ada Yonath". Biophysical Society. Retrieved 31 August 2026.
  25. ↑ Ilani, Ofri (3 December 2009). "Israel's Prof. Ada Yonath wins Nobel Prize for Chemistry – Haaretz – Israel News". haaretz.com. Archived from the original on 3 December 2009. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
  26. ↑ "כלת פרס נובל, פרופ' עדה יונת, הלכה לעולמה". Ynet (in Hebrew). 31 August 2026. Archived from the original on 31 August 2026. Retrieved 31 August 2026.
  27. 1 2 3 4 5 "Nobel Prize, Israel Prize laureate, Ada Yonath, dies aged 87". The Jerusalem Post. 31 August 2026. Archived from the original on 31 August 2026. Retrieved 31 August 2026.
  28. 1 2 Georgina Ferry (2026). "Ada Yonath obituary: Crystallographer who overcame 'impossible' challenge of mapping the ribosome" (PDF). Nature. 657 (8132): 595–595. doi:10.1038/d41586-026-02801-0. Wikidata Q141447704.
  29. ↑ "Israeli Scientist (and Grandmother) Wins Nobel Prize in Chemistry". Forward. 7 October 2009. Retrieved 1 September 2026.
  30. ↑ "Crushing the lab's glass ceiling". The Australian. 7 October 2009. Retrieved 1 September 2026.
  31. ↑ "Nobel Laureate Yonath: Gender not an issue to excel in science". Business Mirror. 7 March 2015. Retrieved 1 September 2026.
  32. ↑ Yonath, Ada E. (24 January 2018). "Ada E. Yonath: 'The challenge of science is like climbing Mount Everest'" (Interview). Interviewed by Nolan, Cathy. UNESCO. Retrieved 1 September 2026.
  33. ↑ "Academic community mourns Nobel laureate Ada Yonath". The Hindu. 1 September 2026. Retrieved 1 September 2026.
  34. ↑ "Prof. Ada Yonath, Nobel Laureate and a Model of Scientific Perseverance, Has Passed Away". Wis Wander. 31 August 2026. Archived from the original on 31 August 2026. Retrieved 31 August 2026.
  35. ↑ "Rinunce e nomine". vatican.va (in Italian). Archived from the original on 22 October 2014.
  36. ↑ "Louisa Gross Horwitz Prize to Yonath". International Union of Crystallography (IUCR). Archived from the original on 9 January 2026. Retrieved 31 August 2026.
  37. ↑ "Prof. Ada Yonath". EMET Prize. Retrieved 31 August 2026.
  38. ↑ "Harry Noller Wins Award for Ribosome Work". City on a Hill Press. 24 May 2007. Archived from the original on 9 July 2024. Retrieved 31 August 2026.
  39. ↑ "Albert Einstein World Award of Science 2008". Archived from the original on 4 March 2014.
  40. ↑ "Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2009". Nobel Foundation. Archived from the original on 10 October 2009. Retrieved 7 October 2009.
  41. ↑ Wills, Adam (7 October 2009). "Ada Yonath—First Israeli Woman to win Nobel Prize". Jewish Journal. Archived from the original on 22 April 2016. Retrieved 7 October 2009.
  42. ↑ "Medalists Archive – ALL MEDALISTS SINCE 1921". Wilhelm Exner Medaillen Stiftung. Archived from the original on 26 February 2021. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
  43. ↑ "Laureaci Medali i Nagród PTChem". Archived from the original on 29 March 2025. Retrieved 22 February 2020.
  44. ↑ "Ada Yonath". German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina. Archived from the original on 26 May 2021. Retrieved 26 May 2021.
  45. ↑ "Past Recipients – Honorary Degrees". honorarydegrees.usc.edu. Archived from the original on 5 October 2020. Retrieved 7 June 2024.
  46. ↑ "Honorary Graduand Orations – Summer 2015". www2.warwick.ac.uk. Archived from the original on 2 January 2019. Retrieved 2 September 2015.
  47. ↑ "Uniwersytet Medyczny w Łodzi". www.umed.pl. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 1 May 2015.
  48. ↑ "La Asamblea condecora a la israelí Ada Yonat, premio Nobel de Química". El Comercio (in Spanish). 2 August 2018. Retrieved 2 September 2026.
  49. ↑ Gilban, Marcus M. (6 August 2018). "Ecuador honors first Israeli woman to win the Nobel Prize". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Retrieved 1 September 2026.
  50. ↑ "Commencement Speakers and Honorary Degree Recipients – Leadership – Carnegie Mellon University". www.cmu.edu. Archived from the original on 29 March 2019. Retrieved 21 September 2018.
  51. ↑ "Ada Yonath". Royal Society. Archived from the original on 5 June 2020. Retrieved 19 September 2020.
  52. ↑ "Honorary Doctorate". en.uj.edu.pl. Archived from the original on 3 June 2023. Retrieved 28 May 2023.
  53. ↑ shelleys (4 June 2024). "Honorary Doctorate Awardees". הטכניון-מכון טכנולוגי לישראל. Archived from the original on 20 June 2025. Retrieved 11 June 2025.
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