Strasbourg University boasts third Nobel winner in five years

The University of Strasbourg is celebrating its third Nobel prize-winner since 2011 - and its fourth since 1987.

Professor Jean-Pierre Sauvage was one of three chemists handed the honour on Tuesday, October 7, for their work towards the design and creation of the 'molecular motor' - described by the Nobel committee as 'the world's smallest machines'.

He joins his PhD supervisor at Strasbourg, Jean-Marie Lehn (1987) as a Nobel laureate, as well as colleagues Jules Hoffmann (2011) and Martin Karplus (2013).

The committee said: "In terms of development, the molecular motor is at the same stage as the electric motor was in the 1830s, when scientists displayed various spinning cranks and wheels, unaware that they would lead to electric trains, washing machines, fans and food processors."

The technology is already being used to create micro-robots in medicine and self-repairing materials.

Professor Sauvage took the first step to creating molecular machines when he successfully linked two ring-shaped molecules in a 'paperchain' that allowed the individual molecules to move independently and relative to each other.

He will share the €800,000 prize with Sir Fraser Stoddart and Bernard Feringa, the two other recipients of this year's chemistry award. Together, they have developed machines - including one that resembles a car - that are 1,000-times smaller than the width of a human hair.

The winner of the peace prize will be announced on Friday and the economics prize will be announced on Monday, October 10.