Dr. Bax is responsible for transforming nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy into a powerful and widely used tool for the study of the structure, function and dynamics of biological macromolecules.
Dr. Bax is a National Institutes of Health Distinguished Investigator in the Laboratory of Chemical Physics at the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Dr. Bax introduced the now extensively adopted NMR approach that relies on stable isotopes to unravel the complexity that plagued earlier NMR studies of biological macromolecules. By dissolving proteins in a dilute aqueous liquid crystalline suspension, he made it possible to precisely measure the orientations of chemical bonds, thus providing a far sharper view of protein structure and motions.
Upon accepting the award, Dr. Bax will receive $500,000.