# Frances Arnold

American chemical engineer who pioneered directed evolution — a method to engineer proteins for industrial, pharmaceutical, and green chemistry applications by mimicking natural selection in the lab. Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2018, making her the fifth woman to win the Chemistry prize. Her engineered enzymes are used in drug synthesis and biofuels.

## Quick Facts

- **Born:** July 25, 1956
- **Birthplace:** Pittsburgh, United States
- **Nationality:** American
- **Occupation:** biochemist
- **Category:** Scholars & Educators
- **Also Known As:** Directed Evolution Pioneer

## Overview

Frances Hamilton Arnold is an American chemical engineer and Nobel Laureate. She is the Linus Pauling Professor of Chemical Engineering, Bioengineering and Biochemistry at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). In 2018, she was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for pioneering the use of directed evolution to engineer enzymes.

## Wikipedia Context

This profile section is complemented from Wikipedia for Frances Arnold. American chemist and academic (born 1956)

## Sources

Primary source page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frances_Arnold

## Timeline

### 1956 — Birth
Birth of Frances Arnold.

### 2026 — Wikipedia Complement
Profile metadata and editorial blocks were complemented using Wikipedia and Wikidata references.

### 2026 — Profile Update
Structured profile components were updated to improve completeness.

## Quotes

> "Profile note: Frances Arnold was complemented using Wikipedia reference material."
> — Frances Arnold, Peoplebio editorial note (2026)

> "Editorial note: This block stores profile notes and source context, not attributed quotations."
> — Frances Arnold, Peoplebio editorial note (2026)

> "Source note: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frances_Arnold"
> — Frances Arnold, Peoplebio editorial note (2026)

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Source: https://peoplebio.info/p/frances-arnold