Which chemist won the 2018 Nobel Prize for developing directed evolution of enzymes?

Frances Arnold won the 2018 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for developing directed evolution of enzymes.

Directed evolution adapts the logic of natural selection for the laboratory. Researchers create many genetic variants of an enzyme, test their performance, select the best versions, and repeat the process. Arnold demonstrated that this method could produce enzymes with useful new or improved properties.

Her work helped advance cleaner chemical manufacturing, biofuels, pharmaceuticals, and other technologies. Arnold shared the 2018 Nobel Prize with George P. Smith and Gregory P. Winter, whose recognized work involved phage display of peptides and antibodies.

A common error is to call directed evolution a form of genetic engineering that designs every change directly. Instead, it combines mutation, selection, and repeated screening to guide biological systems toward a desired function.