Yonath is winner of the 2009 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for studies on the structure and function of the ribosome, and her trip to Japan and lecture were made possible by a Japan Society for the Promotion of Science Award for Eminent Scientists.
Yonath also presented a lecture last year at the RIKEN Yokohama Institute, but this was her first visit to the Wako Institute. During her visit, she had informal talks with RIKEN President and Nobel Laureate Ryoji Noyori, Wako Institute Director Tomoya Ogawa, and ASI Director Kohei Tamao.
Organized by Antibiotics Laboratory Chief Scientist Hiroyuki Osada, the lecture provided a unique opportunity for participants to interact directly with a Nobel prizewinner. Researchers from a variety of fields packed the lecture hall to listen to Yonath’s lecture. Entitled ‘From Basic Science to Advanced Antibiotics’, the lecture drew interest from researchers both inside and outside the field, and the question and answer session that followed exceeded its allotted time with active discussion.