Computer modeling of complex chemical processes has earned three scientists the 2013 Nobel Prize in chemistry.
The mysterious and lightning fast chemical reactions that transfer electrons between atoms have been impossible to observe by the naked eye. The three scientists who take home the prize have harnessed the power of computing to simulate those reactions. The models allow scientists to dissect how plants create energy from light, how proteins fold in cells and how chemical processes purify exhaust fumes.
The Nobel committee awarded the prize to Martin Karplus of Harvard University and University of Strasbourg, Michael Levitt of Stanford University and Arieh Warshel of the University of Southern California.
