Kobilka, Brian Kent (1955-…), an American biochemist, won the 2012 Nobel Prize in chemistry. He shared the prize with fellow American biochemist Robert J. Lefkowitz. They received the award for their research on cellular proteins called G-protein-coupled receptors. These proteins enable many living cells to sense and respond to chemical messages.
In the 1980’s, Kobilka worked with Lefkowitz to identify the gene (unit of hereditary material) that controlled the production of G-protein-coupled receptors. This helped them determine the structure of the receptor and understand how it functioned. G-protein-coupled receptors are found embedded in the membranes of living cells of humans and many other organisms. When activated by a chemical “signal” from outside the cell, they trigger changes within the cell. Such signaling plays an important role in the body’s control of nearly all biological processes. It helps regulate heart rate, blood pressure, and respiration. G-protein-coupled receptors are also necessary for such senses as sight, smell, and taste.
Brian Kent Kobilka was born on May 30, 1955, in Little Falls, Minnesota. He studied biology and chemistry at the University of Minnesota at Duluth, graduating in 1977. He earned an M.D. degree at Yale University in 1981. Since 1989, he has been a professor of molecular and cellular physiology and medicine at Stanford University.
See also Lefkowitz, Robert Joseph .
