STOCKHOLM (AP) 鈥� Two scientists won the Wednesday for finding an 鈥渋ngenious鈥� new way to build molecules that can be used to make everything from medicines to food flavorings.
The work of Benjamin List of Germany and Scotland-born David W.C. MacMillan has already had a significant impact on pharmaceutical research and made chemistry 鈥済reener,鈥� the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences said.
鈥淚t鈥檚 already benefiting humankind greatly,鈥� said Pernilla Wittung-Stafshede, a member of the Nobel panel.
Making molecules 鈥� which requires linking individual atoms together in specific arrangement 鈥� is a difficult and slow task. Until beginning of the millennium, chemists had only two methods 鈥� or catalysts 鈥� to speed up the process.
That all changed in 2000, when List, of the Max Planck Institute, and MacMillan, of Princeton University, independently reported that small organic molecules can be used to do the same job as big enzymes and metal catalysts.
The new method, known as asymmetric organocatalysis, made chemical reactions that 鈥渁re precise, cheap, fast and environmentally friendly,鈥� said Wittung-Stafshede. 鈥淭his new toolbox is used widely today, for example, in drug discovery and in fine chemicals production."
Johan 脜qvist, chair of the Nobel panel, called the new method as 鈥渟imple as it is ingenious."
"The fact is that many people have wondered why we didn鈥檛 think of it earlier," he added.
Peter Somfai, another member of the committee, stressed the importance of the discovery for the world economy.
鈥淚t has been estimated that catalysis is responsible for about 35% of the world鈥檚 GDP, which is a pretty impressive figure,鈥� he said. 鈥淚f we have a more environmentally friendly alternative, it鈥檚 expected that that will make a difference.鈥�
Speaking after the announcement, List said the award was a "huge surprise.鈥�
鈥淵ou really made my day today," the 53-year-old said by telephone to the journalists gathered for the announcement from his vacation in Amsterdam.
List said he did not initially know that MacMillan was working on the same subject and figured his hunch might just be a 鈥渟tupid idea鈥� 鈥� until it worked.
鈥淲hen I saw it worked, I did feel that this could be something big," he said of his eureka moment.
Since their discovery, the tool has been further refined, making it many times more efficient, said List, adding that the 鈥渞eal revolution鈥� was only just beginning.
List said the award would allow him even greater freedom in his future work.
鈥淚 hope I live up to this, to this recognition and continue discovering amazing things,鈥� he said.
MacMillan had not yet been reached by the time of the announcement, said Goran Hansson, secretary-general of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.
It is common for several scientists who work in related fields to share the prize. Last year, the chemistry prize went to Emmanuelle Charpentier of France and Jennifer A. Doudna of the United States for that has revolutionized science by providing a way to alter DNA.
The prestigious award comes with a gold medal and 10 million Swedish kronor (over $1.14 million). The prize money comes from a bequest left by the prize鈥檚 creator, Swedish inventor Alfred Nobel, who died in 1895.
On Monday, the Nobel Committee awarded the prize in physiology or medicine to Americans David Julius and Ardem Patapoutian for their discoveries into .
The Nobel Prize in physics was awarded Tuesday to , helping to explain and predict complex forces of nature, including expanding our understanding of climate change.
Over the coming days prizes will also be awarded for outstanding work in the fields of literature, peace and economics.
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Jordans reported from Berlin.
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Read more stories about Nobel Prizes past and present at .
David Keyton And Frank Jordans, The Associated Press
