Mizzou Professor Wins Nobel Prize in Chemistry
The phone rings at 4:30 a.m. on a Monday. For most, that’s a wake-up call. But for Dr. George P. Smith, it was a call to the world stage.
Dr. George P. Smith, Curators Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Biological Sciences at the University of Missouri, was awarded the 2018 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, and it means more than recognition for his scientific work — it’s recognition of his colleagues, fellow researchers and students.
“I don’t know if I particularly want to say that I am proud personally of this award because as I think all Nobel laureates understand, they are in the middle of a huge web of science, of influence and ideas, of research and results that impinge on them and that emanate from them,” he said.
For Dr. Smith, that web extends far beyond Mizzou’s campus. Nobel officials say his achievement is “harnessing the power of evolution.” In fact, his work has led to the production of new antibodies used to cure metastatic cancer and counteract autoimmune diseases. And while Dr. Smith retired from teaching in 2015, it didn’t stop him from joining (and inspiring) Mizzou students in a general genetics class on the morning he received notice of his award.
And later that day, more than 300 students, faculty, and staff joined him to celebrate and hear a few words from the Nobel laureate himself, who insisted that these breakthroughs come as the result of many scientists’ efforts.
Dr. Smith’s work revolves around phage display, which allows a virus that infects bacteria to evolve new proteins. He never knew that his findings would help result in improved treatment of cancer and autoimmune diseases; it was his passion rooted in basic science that led him there. “Being at Mizzou, I had a tremendous amount of freedom to explore what I think is interesting,” he shares. “Not all universities give you the freedom to do that, and I think science really depends on that.”
“MU faculty are shaping how research is conducted and how advancements are made in the world of research,” Mizzou Chancellor Alexander N. Cartwright said. “As the state’s flagship research and land-grant university, MU has talented researchers working hard every day to bring expertise to critical needs. The Nobel Prize represents Dr. Smith’s valuable contribution to the university over his 40-year career.”
Beyond his incredible research, Dr. Smith has also trained six postdoctoral fellows and graduated six doctoral students and six master’s students. He taught an impressive range of courses in biology and genetics at the undergraduate and graduate level, and he hosted senior seminars on biological issues.
The last 40 years earned Dr. Smith a scientific breakthrough, a legacy and a Nobel Prize. For the University of Missouri, It Just Means More breakthroughs discovered in the classroom being shared with the world.
