NTU Raymond Soong Chair Professorship of Distinguished Research
Prof. Joachim Frank, a Nobel Laureate in Chemistry 2017
The NTU Raymond Soong Chair Professorship of Distinguished Research was established in 2023 through the generous endowment of Mr. Raymond Soong, founder of Lite-On Group. The program is jointly promoted in collaboration with the TAIWAN BRIDGES Program, co-organized by National Taiwan University (NTU) and Academia Sinica, in partnership with twelve leading academic and research institutions in Taiwan and the International Peace Foundation (IPF). From 2025 to 2026, the program will invite 31 Nobel Laureates to Taiwan to build bridges between world-class academic research and social dialogue. The inaugural lecture will feature Professor Joachim Frank, a Nobel Laureate in Chemistry (2017), as the distinguished speaker. All members of the university are encouraged to participate enthusiastically.
● Information:
Speaker: Professor Joachim Frank
Topic: “Cryo-electron microscopy, a new foundation for molecular medicine and drug design.”
Date: 14:00-15:40, May 6th (Wed.), 2026
Venue: NTU Shih-Liang Chien Lecture Hall, 2nd floor, Zonghe Lecture Building
Language: English
● Introduction:
Professor Joachim Frank is currently a faculty member at Columbia University in the United States and a member of both the U.S. National Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He is widely recognized as a pioneer in the application of cryo-electron microscopy to determine the high-resolution structures of biomacromolecules. He was awarded the 2017 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, together with Professors Jacques Dubochet and Richard Henderson.
Professor Frank developed the key image-processing techniques in cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) that enable scientists to visualize biomolecular structures at atomic resolution. He developed a set of algorithms capable of reconstructing accurate three-dimensional models from thousands of noisy, two-dimensional projections of proteins captured by electron microscopy. This breakthrough not only overcame the problem of biological samples being easily damaged under electron beams but also eliminated the need for the time-consuming preparation of high-quality single crystals (which is a prerequisite in traditional X-ray crystallography). Cryo-electron microscopy allows researchers to directly observe the dynamic behavior of proteins under conditions that closely resemble their natural physiological states, providing unprecedented visual evidence to understand ribosomal function, viral infection pathways, and drug target design.
Today, this technology has become a cornerstone and an indispensable tool in modern drug development and life science research, continuing to guide humanity in exploring the mysteries of the microscopic world.
● Activity Process:
13:20 - 14:00: Registration and Admission
14:00 - 14:05: Introduction
14:05 - 14:50: Speech Start
14:50 - 15:35: Question & Answer
15:35 - 15:40: Trophy Presentation and Group Photo Session
● Note:
1. Link:
https://my.ntu.edu.tw/actregister/sessionList.aspx?actID=20253700_14
https://forms.gle/RGSanryqSVvEUmFz5
2. If you are an external participant using our school's activity registration system for the first time, please go to the homepage to apply for an account and password. Alternatively, an exclusive form can be used for external individuals.
3. We have an open quota of 400 participants. Please register using our school's activity registration system. If you are unable to attend, please cancel your registration as soon as possible.
4. Civil servants can register for Government Employee Lifelong Learning for 2 hours. For students, this learning record will be linked to their ePo.
Contact: Mr. Yu, Center for General Education, NTU (Phone: 02-3366-2545 #242； Email: tzuhungyu@ntu.edu.tw)