Written by Kevin Byrne
2022 has been an unprecedented year for LGBTQ representation within STEM. Both the Nobel Prize in Chemistry and the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine were awarded to LGBTQ scientists, Carolyn Bertozzi and Svante Pääbo, respectively. While there have been eight other known LGBTQ Nobel laureates in the past, Bertozzi and Pääbo are the first openly queer scientists to be awarded a Nobel Prize. In addition, Carolyn Bertozzi is the first LGBTQ person to receive the Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
Carolyn Bertozzi, who identifies as a gay cis woman, was awarded this year’s Nobel Prize in Chemistry alongside Barry Sharpless and Morten Meldal “for the development of click chemistry and bioorthogonal chemistry.” Her research took the concepts of click chemistry to a new level by discovering bioorthogonal reactions that take place without disrupting the normal chemistry of a cell. To overcome the cytotoxicity of the copper catalyst required for azide-alkyne cycloadditions, her lab used the ring strain provided by cyclooctynes to achieve live cell labeling with fluorophores and map glycans on cell surfaces.
Svante Pääbo, who identifies as bisexual, is the sole recipient of this year’s Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine “for his discoveries concerning the genomes of extinct hominins and human evolution.” His research gave rise to the field of paleogenomics, which is interested in reconstructing and analyzing the genetic information of extinct species. To gain insights into the evolution of modern-day humans, his lab successfully sequenced the Neanderthal genome and discovered a new hominin relative, the Denisova, using DNA extracted from archaic bone remains.
While this year has been a tremendous step for the inclusion and recognition of LGBTQ scientists, there is still a long way to go for true equality in STEM. Within the US, there are many states proposing new anti-LGBTQ legislature (with the majority being anti-trans) that hinder entry into science for queer people and even challenge the right for LGBTQ people to openly exist in public. Outside of the US, being openly queer can lead to imprisonment and even the death penalty in some countries. Thus, it is absolutely critical that we continue to recognize the work of LGBTQ scientists to challenge these homophobic and transphobic ideas, and inspire the next generation of queer chemists to live openly within the workplace.
If you are interested in learning more about other LGBTQ Nobel Prize laureates, please see:
Selma Lagerlöf (Nobel Prize in Literature 1909); first woman and LGBTQ person to win Nobel Prize in Literature
Jacinto Benavente (Nobel Prize in Literature 1922)
Thomas Mann (Nobel Prize in Literature 1929)
Jane Addams (Nobel Peace Prize 1931); first American woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize
Otto Heinrich Warburg (Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1931)
Andre Gide (Nobel Prize in Literature 1947)
Patrick White (Nobel Prize in Literature 1973)
Vincente Aleixandre (Nobel Prize in Literature 1977)
References:
Comments