Press Release:
Shimadzu scientist awarded Nobel Prize for
Chemistry
Koichi Tanaka rewarded for revolutionary mass spectrometry technique
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9 October 2002. Today the
Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced that Koichi
Tanaka has, along with two other pioneering scientists, been
awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2002.
Mr Koichi Tanaka, (left)
of Shimadzu Corp, Kyoto, Japan, was jointly awarded one half of the prize
with John B Fenn of Virginia Commonwealth University for their development
of soft desorption ionisation methods in mass spectrometric analyses of
biological macromolecules. Tanaka’s approach has become fundamental
in the standard methods (MALDI, SELDI and DIOS) for structural analyses
of proteins, DNA and carbohydrates which make it possible to characterise
the components of biological systems. Many of the laser desorption technologies
on the market today have their foundations in Mr Tanaka’s work. |
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- This year’s Chemistry Prize focuses on powerful analytical
methods for studying biological macromolecules, such as proteins.
Mr Tanaka is the architect of a soft ionisation technique that the
Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences describes as ‘hovering through
blasting’. In 1987, at an Oriental mass spectrometry symposium
(1), Tanaka proved that protein molecules could be ionised using the
soft laser desorption technique. A year later, the scientific community
saw the full publication of his seminal paper (2).
- Soft laser desorption is based on the bombardment of a solid or
viscous phase sample with a laser pulse. The sample takes up energy
from this pulse and the components or ions desorbed from the surface.
An electrical field accelerates the ions which are detected by a mass
analyser. The differentiation of ions is based on the time it takes
for them to fly through a flight tube, which is dependent on their
mass/charge (m/z) ratios — the larger the ion, the slower its
velocity and the longer it takes to make its trajectory.
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- Tetsuo Ichikawa, Chairman of
Shimadzu Biotech commented: “Mr Tanaka joined the Central Research
Laboratory of Shimadzu Corp in 1983 as an R&D engineer. His discoveries
were critical to the commercial development of the Axima and Kompact
mass spectrometers. In addition, Mr Tanaka had a pivotal role in the
creation of a novel version of the
MALDI mass spectrometer which uses a hybrid design, employing
a quadrupole ion trap (QIT) before time-of-flight (TOF) separation
of the ions. It makes me very proud to think that the technology employed
in our instruments has warranted a Nobel Prize and that Mr Tanaka
has been rewarded for his pioneering efforts”.
- Combining MALDI with a time-of-flight mass spectrometric detection
has signified a monumental step in molecular weight determination
of biological macromolecules. The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
has recognised Tanaka’s technology for what it is — a cornerstone
of proteomics.
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References:
(1) Proceedings of the Second Japan-China Joint Symposium on Mass
Spectrometry, Matsuda H., Liang, X-T., eds.; Bando Press, Osaka,
pp185-188 (1987)
(2) Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry 2, 151
– 153 (1988), Koichi Tanaka, Hiroaki Waki, Yutaka Ido, Satoshi
Akita, Yoshikazu Yoshida and Tamio Yoshida
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The Nobel Foundation
For more information, please contact:
Shimadzu Biotech:
Tetsuo Ichikawa, Chairman: Tel: +81-75-823-1148
Fax: +81-75-823-1364 - E-mail: tichi@shimadzu.co.jp
For press information, please contact:
Jacqui Dyson, Account Manager: Tel: +44 (0)20 7496 3330
Fax: +44 (0)20 7496 3355 - E-mail: j.dyson@hccdefacto.com
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