Robert Huber is a biochemist who uses X-ray crystallography to define the structure of organic compounds. He has contributed to the understanding of the structure and function of many important biological macromolecules and has developed computer-based crystallographic imagery for the analysis of proteins, now used in laboratories throughout the world.
Robert’s work helped to define the structure of proteins involved in the immune system, including antibodies and antibody receptors, as well as hormones, the biosynthesis of amino acids and vitamins, and the proteins of energy and electron transport. He received the 1988 Nobel Prize for Chemistry, together with Johann Deisenhofer and Hartmut Michel, for their analysis of a molecule important in photosynthesis.
Robert became a Director at the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry in 1971. He is co-founder of and adviser to two biotechnology companies, Proteros and SuppreMol, and leads many collaborative projects throughout the world, including studies of proteins involved in energy and electron transport and light harvesting.
Awards
Nobel Prize in Chemistry
Jointly with Johann Deisenhofer and Hartmut Michel for the determination of the three-dimensional structure of a photosynthetic reaction centre.
