CBE alum, and Caltech professor, Frances Arnold (Ph.D. ’85, with Harvey Blanch) has received the 2016 Millennium Technology Prize in recognition of her discoveries that launched the field of ‘directed evolution,’ which mimics natural evolution to create new and better proteins in the laboratory. This technology uses the power of biology and evolution to solve important problems, often replacing less efficient and sometimes harmful technologies.

The Millennium Technology Prize is one of the world’s most prestigious science and technology prizes. Arnold is the first woman to win the award, underscoring her status as a strong role model for women working in technology.