2011 King Faisal International Prize for Science awarded jointly to Whitesides and Zare

Riyadh, 17 January 2011: The King Faisal International Prize for Science (Chemistry) for 2011 has been awarded jointly to Professor George Whitesides of Harvard University and Professor Richard Zare of Stanford University.

Professor Whitesides has revolutionized the field of self assembly using molecular scale synthesis to control the macroscopic properties of surfaces. This and his work on soft lithography, where he developed practical methods to mold complex patterns on surfaces, are relevant to diverse fields such as molecular electronics, material science and biology. Professor Whitesides has recognized and developed connections between nanoscience and biological systems, leading to new paradigms for drug design, which may enable new and inexpensive approaches to bioscience and medical diagnostics. Professor Zare is recognized for his fundamental contribution to the understanding of molecular dynamics and chemical reactions. He developed the extremely sensitive technique of laser induced fluorescence and pioneered its application in many fields ranging from analytical chemistry and molecular biology to astrophysics (composition of interstellar media)