Congratulations to Professor Frances Arnold, Co-Founder of Provivi™, for winning the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Professor Arnold was one of three winners of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2018. Arnold, the fifth woman to win a chemistry Nobel in the prize’s 117-year history, split the award with George P. Smith and Gregory P. Winter for their work on harnessing evolution for building new biomolecules.

Professor Arnold’s research has centered around developing ways to accelerate the process of natural evolution in the laboratory. Referred to as “Directed Evolution,” this breakthrough technology has entered the mainstream of scientific research, enabling the creation of new and useful enzyme catalysts for a variety of applications.

The broad opportunities for commercial applications of directed evolution technology have led to the creation of several new companies, including Provivi™. Based in California, Provivi™ is an AgTech startup using pheromones to protect crops from major damaging insects.

Dr. Pedro Coelho, CEO of Provivi™, commented, “We have been privileged to benefit from Prof. Arnold’s wisdom in the development of our products for a more sustainable agriculture. This recognition is an inspiration to all scientists who strive to better the world with technology. We are honored to have Prof. Arnold participate in our board of directors and to receive her guidance in the development of our strategy. On behalf of our employees, board, and partners, I extend our warmest congratulations to Prof. Arnold on this incredible achievement.”