Kurt Wüthrich

Kurt Wüthrich is the Cecil H. and Ida M. Green Professor of Structural Biology at Scripps Research in the United States, Professor of Biophysics at ETH Zürich in Switzerland, and Distinguished Senior Professor at the iHuman Institute, ShanghaiTech University in China. For 50 years, Prof Wüthrich’s groups at these three institutions have used nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) for research in structural biology. Their contributions include developing the method of protein structure determination with NMR in solution, and the use of the principles of transverse relaxation-optimized spectroscopy (TROSY) for NMR experiments with large supramolecular assemblies. Their applications over the years were focused on differentiation in higher organisms, immune suppression, and neuropathology. 

Since April 2019, Prof Wüthrich has continued his research using NMR techniques at ShanghaiTech University, with a focus on transmembrane signal transfer by G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). At Scripps Research and ETH Zürich, projects on the general theme “healthcare in the ageing human societies of the 21st century” are pursued, mainly considering the impact of sarcopenia on the human healthspan. 

Prof Wüthrich’s achievements have been recognised by a number of awards and honorary degrees, including the Prix Louis Jeantet de Médecine, the Kyoto Prize in Advanced Technology, and the Nobel Prize in Chemistry.