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In 2002, Koichi Tanaka became one of the youngest scientists to receive a Nobel Prize when he shared the award in chemistry “for the development of methods for identification and structure analysis of biological macromolecules” and for the “development of soft desorption ionization methods for mass spectrometric analysis of biological macromolecules.” Tanaka, through his research at the Shimadzu Corporation in Kyoto, Japan, was one of the first scientists to extend mass spectrometry to the study of proteins. Much of this groundbreaking work was published in 1987.
Born on August 3, 1959 in Toyama, Japan, Koichi Tanaka was raised by an aunt and uncle following the death of his mother shortly after his birth and the illness of his father. Despite an average first and second year, Koichi Tanaka reapplied himself and graduated from Tohoko University with a B.S. in electrical engineering.
Through the efforts of his mentor, Saburo Adachi, Koichi Tanaka joined Shimadzu Corporation after completing university studies. He became part of the team that was developing component technology for analytical instruments. In this work he began to search “for a matrix that would enable non-destructive ionization of macromolecules by efficiently absorbing the laser energy”. In an autobiographical account of his life, Koichi Tanaka commented that a “monumental blunder” was the start of his research breakthrough. He also believes that “rather than mention only my excellence, I believe it is more appropriate to say that the overall support of the research team was excellent.”
Koichi Tanaka married Yuko Ikegami, also from Toyama Prefecture. Shortly after winning the Nobel Prize, he was awarded the Order of Culture, Japan’s highest honor. In 2003, he was appointed general manager of the mass spectrometry research laboratory at Shimadzu Corporation; in 2004 he became an executive officer of Shimadzu, while still continuing research work.
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