Nobel Prize in Chemistry Awarded to Scientists for Creating a Tool to Build Molecules

Benjamin List and David W.C. MacMillan were honored for work that spurred research into new drugs and reduced the effect of chemistry on the environment.

The Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded on Wednesday to Benjamin List and David W.C. MacMillan for their development of a new tool to build molecules, work that has spurred advances in pharmaceutical research and lessened the impact of chemistry on the environment.

Their work, while unseen by consumers, is an essential part in many leading industries and is crucial for research.

Chemists are among those tasked with constructing molecules that can form elastic and durable materials, store energy in batteries or inhibit the progression of diseases.