Rate My Professor Frances Arnold

Arnold pioneered directed evolution methods for enzymes, earning the 2018 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for this breakthrough in protein engineering. Her research integrates directed evolution, computational simulation, and machine learning to design novel enzymes for biocatalysis in pharmaceutical synthesis, biofuels, sensors, and diagnostics, as well as to study natural enzyme evolution. Key publications include "Directed evolution of enzymatic silicon-carbon bond cleavage in siloxanes" (Science, 2024), "Biocatalytic Synthesis of α-Amino Esters via Nitrene C–H Insertion" (J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2024), "A Biocatalytic Platform for the Synthesis of Organofunctional Silanes and Siloxanes" (Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2025), and seminal works like "Directed Evolution: Bringing New Chemistry to Life" (Angew. Chem.). Among her honors are the 2025 Priestley Medal, the American Chemical Society's highest award; the 2016 Millennium Technology Prize; the 2011 National Medal of Technology and Innovation; the 2019 Bower Award for Achievement in Science; and the 2017 Sackler Prize in Convergence Research. Arnold's innovations have transformed synthetic biology and sustainable chemistry.