John b. Fenn, the Nobel Laureate who studies large molecules, dies at 93 (NYT)

A spokesman for Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, where Mr. Fenn was Professor of chemistry, confirmed the death of Dr. Fenn, but has not provided information on its cause or his survivors.

M. Fenn was the sound of the seventies when he publishes research who won the Nobel Prize, focused on a new way to identify and map the protein, carbohydrate, DNA and other large biological molecules. He shared the prize with Koichi Tanaka, an engineer in Kyoto, in the Japan and Kurt Wüthrich, Professor of Biophysics at Zürich, who worked independently on research related protein.

M. Fenn improved technique known as mass spectrometry that identifies molecules such as proteins by the speed with which they are accelerated in an electric field. Thanks to its approach, biologists can now identify molecules in a few seconds, and instead weeks, accelerate research on new drugs.

Techniques have helped create a new field of biology, proteomics, in which scientists seek to the interaction of hundreds of thousands of proteins in human cells in the catalog.

"The ability to analyze proteins in retail has led to a better understanding of the processes of life", the Royal Academy of the Swedish science said in his visa Award 2002.

The problem was arrested biologists on protein mass spectrometry more is this whole proteins clump and scientists could measure the Tufts instead of individual proteins.

Dr. Fenn breakthrough would turn to a solution containing proteins in steam.

In this technique, called electrospray ionization, a highly dispersed electric field of droplets. As a droplet evaporates, it explodes into small droplets. small droplets explode into still smaller that each contain a loaded reason protein soar in the steam.

With separate scientific protein could then use the normal technique of mass spectrometry, applying an electric field to accelerate molecules and measure their weight.

"We have learned to fly elephants", Mr. Fenn said in an interview after the announcement of the Nobel. "There are a lot of luck in this", he added. "In fact, it is very fortunate in science."

M. Fenn and Yale clashed on Mr. Fenn after - contrary to the policy of the University - electrospray ionization patent rights it patented personally and licensed the patent to a company he co-founded then. In 2005, a federal judge ruled that Mr. Fenn was guilty of "civil flight," the patent at Yale and ordered Mr. Fenn at Yale pay over $ 1 million. He has appealed the decision, but lost.

Born on June 15, 1917, in New York, John Bennett Fenn received her degree from Berea College in Kentucky in 1937 and his Ph.d. from Yale in 1940.

He has worked in Anniston, Alabama Monsanto chemical company. and the chemical Sharples in Michigan and spent seven years with a small company, experience Inc., Richmond worked in combustion engines.

In 1959, he was appointed Director of the Squid project, a research programme marine United States jet propulsion, administered by Princeton. M. Fenn became Professor of mechanical and aerospace sciences at the University.

He moved to Yale in 1967, is retiring as Professor Emeritus in 1987. M. Fenn moved to Virginia Commonwealth in 1994.

He was a member of the National Academy of Sciences.