Ada Yonath, who died in 2026 at the age of 86 or 87, was an Israeli scientist who received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Born in 1939, she dedicated her career to the study of ribosomes, the cellular structures responsible for protein synthesis.
Yonath's research resulted in the creation of a new technique that made it possible to study ribosomes through crystallography. This technique, called cryobiocrystallography, allowed the visualization of the molecular structure of ribosomes with unprecedented detail.
In addition to her fundamental work in the field of ribosomal crystallography, Ada Yonath managed to decipher the mode of action of more than 20 antibiotics. This knowledge revealed how these drugs act at the molecular level on the ribosomes of bacteria.
The article is a chronicle by António Araújo that pays tribute to Ada Yonath, presenting her as a remarkable figure in science who paved the way for understanding the fundamental mechanisms of life at the molecular level.
