The 2015 Nobel Prize in Medicine - Periodic Table of Videos

TL;DR

Dr. Youyou Tu, the first Chinese scientist to win the Nobel Prize for work done in China, discovered artemisinin, a potent treatment for malaria.

Transcript

For the first time since we started making these Nobel Prize videos, the Medicine Nobel Prize has got such a strong chemical content that we are going to make two: one about chemistry and this one, which is about medicine. And the reason why we are doing the medicine one is because it is recognizing people who have discovered fundamental molecules ... Read More

Key Insights

• ❓ The Nobel Prize in Medicine recognized the discovery of fundamental molecules used for treating diseases.
• 😘 Dr. Youyou Tu discovered artemisinin, a potent treatment for malaria, using ancient texts and exploring lower temperature extracts.
• 🤵 Avermectin, a related compound, is used as a treatment for parasites but is toxic to collie dogs.
• 💡 Dr. Tu's Nobel Prize highlights the importance of the quality of ideas over the status of laboratories and journals in scientific recognition.
• 💄 Artemisinin has a unique structure with weak oxygen-oxygen bonds, making it susceptible to decomposition if boiled.
• 🥺 The discovery of artemisinin was a simple yet clever idea that led to its recognition in the Nobel Prize.
• 🌱 Artemisinin has been a traditional treatment for malaria in China for generations, extracted from the plant 'Artemisia annua.'

Questions & Answers

Q: How did Dr. Youyou Tu discover artemisinin?

Dr. Youyou Tu discovered artemisinin by going back to ancient texts and realizing that boiling the extract of the plant was not effective. She explored lower temperature extracts and found the potent treatment for malaria.

Q: What is the significance of the structure of artemisinin?

Artemisinin has an oxygen-oxygen single bond, which is notoriously weak. Boiling the solution of the molecule causes decomposition, leading to the destruction of artemisinin.

Q: Why did Rob work on Avermectin?

Rob worked on Avermectin because it is a compound related to the award-winning discovery of Avermectin. Avermectin is used as a treatment for parasites, but it is toxic to collie dogs.

Q: What is the lesson from Dr. Youyou Tu's Nobel Prize?

Dr. Youyou Tu's Nobel Prize demonstrates that original science can be recognized without the status of prestigious laboratories or publishing in famous journals. It emphasizes the importance of the quality of ideas for recognition in the scientific community.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Dr. Youyou Tu discovered artemisinin, a potent treatment for malaria, by realizing that boiling extracted plant compounds was not effective and looking at lower temperature extracts.

• Artemisinin has a unique structure with weak oxygen-oxygen bonds, making it susceptible to decomposition if boiled.

• Rob, an organic chemist, worked on a related compound called Avermectin, which is used as a treatment for parasites but is toxic to collie dogs.