Finnish Millennium Technology Prize given to U.S. biochemist

U.S. biochemical engineer Frances Arnold became the seventh recipient of the Finnish Millennium Technology Prize on Tuesday.

The Technology Academy of Finland singled out her discoveries that launched the field of "directed evolution," which mimics natural evolution to create new proteins in the laboratory.

Arnold's method generates random mutations in the DNA in the way it happens in nature. The modified genes produce proteins with new properties, from which the researcher can choose the useful ones, repeating the process until the level of performance needed by industry is achieved.

"I think the whole world wants to live in a more sustainable fashion," Arnold told newspaper Helsingin Sanomat.

She said she was particularly interested now in making agriculture more sustainable and reduce pesticide use. "We have to feed more people, clothe more people, house more people, and do it without destroying all the other things that we value in our environment," Arnold added.

She serves as professor of Biochemistry at the California Institute of Technology, known often as Caltech.

The selection criteria of the 1 million euro (1.11 million U.S. dollars) prize target innovators that promote sustainable development and quality of life.

Prof. Marja Makarow, chair of the Finnish Academy of Technology, said awarding Arnold's innovation was timely as a number of countries, including Finland, are aiming at clean technology and green growth. Enditem