| Citation | Alwyn Jones is distinguished for his innovative contributions to the field of protein crystallography. His creation of the computer graphics system, FRODO, and of later variants, has enabled crystallographers worldwide to build and refine proteins from their electron density maps with a speed and precision that was unimaginable a decade ago. More recently Jones has created programs which make use of the database of refined structures to assist the interpretation of electron density maps. His latest program 'O' is already widely used and appreciated. The impact of these programs extends well beyond the crystallographic community. By making the protein molecules 'visible' Jones's programs have enabled biochemists and molecular biologists to explore fundamental biological mechanisms at an atomic level. They form the basis for many of the exciting developments in protein engineering. Their application enabled the Martinsried group to solve the structure of the photosynthetic reaction center. Besides this invaluable service to the scientific community, Jones is credited with the solution of several interesting biological structures. In Uppsala he developed the real space refinement techniques which were instrumental in determining the structure of the satellite tobacco necrosis virus. This remains one of the best viral structures available. He has also solved the structures of the retinol binding protein and of P2 myelin, proteins containing the novel structural element, the anti-parallel beta strand. These structures promise to be important features of receptor biology. Most recently, Jones and his colleagues have solved the structure of the cellulose-degrading enzyme, cellobiohydrolase. Jones was awarded the Svedberg Prize by the Swedish Royal Academy of Science in 1986 in recognition of his work. |