Prof. Joachim Frank

2017 Nobel Laureate for Chemistry at Columbia University/USA

Professor Frank is the founder of Cryo-EM which is instrumental in visualizing the structure of viruses and important for developing antiviral strategies and new drugs.

Biography:

Prof. Joachim Frank is a German-American biophysicist at Columbia University who is regarded as the founder of single-particle cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM), for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2017. Cryo-EM is a leading method for determining the structure of proteins, viruses and other large biological molecules. It allows researchers to visualize how different molecules interact and assemble into larger complexes, revealing their functional organization. By visualizing molecular structures, cryo-EM helps elucidate how proteins and other molecules carry out their biological functions. Understanding the structure of target molecules can aid in the design of drugs that specifically interact with and modulate their activity. Cryo-EM is instrumental in visualizing the structure of viruses, which is important for understanding viral entry, replication and for developing antiviral strategies. It is a powerful technique, particularly useful for studying molecules that are difficult to crystallize for traditional X-ray crystallography. It allows researchers to visualize and understand the structure and function of biomolecules in their near-native, frozen-hydrated state, which can provide insights into cellular processes and potential drug targets.

Topic of keynote speech:

• Cryo-electron microscopy, a new foundation for molecular medicine and drug design

Schedule:

Wednesday, May 6, 2026:

14:00  Public keynote speech and dialogue at the National Taiwan University in Taipei

Further information and free seat reservation via phone +886-2-3366-4684 or email
ycleou@ntu.edu.tw