Chemistry Nobel: Major award for molecular matters

Recent prizes have gone to scientists who developed molecular “machines” and who mapped how cells repair damaged DNA, leading to improved cancer treatments.

A medal of Alfred Nobel is pictured prior to the beginning of a press conference to announce the winner of the 2017 Nobel Prize in Medicine on October 2, 2017 at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm. The 2017 Nobel prize season kicks off with the announcement of the medicine prize, to be followed over the next days by the other science awards and those for peace and literature. / AFP PHOTO / Jonathan NACKSTRAND

The Nobel Prize for Chemistry rewards researchers for major advances in studying the infinitesimal bits of material that are the building blocks of life.

Recent prizes have gone to scientists who developed molecular “machines” with controllable motions and who mapped how cells repair damaged DNA, leading to improved cancer treatments.

The 2017 prize, worth 9 million kronor ($1.1 million), is being announced on October 4 by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.

It’s the third Nobel announced this week.

The medicine prize went to three Americans studying circadian rhythms — Jeffrey C. Hall, Michael Rosbash and Michael W. Young. The physics prize went to Rainer Weiss, Barry Barish and Kip Thorne for detecting gravitational waves.

The literature winner will be named on October 5 and the peace prize will be announced on October 6.