On August 6, Hokkaido University Museum reopened its "150th Anniversary Exhibition: The Genealogy of 'Lofty Ambition'" as part of its 150th anniversary celebrations, showcasing the achievements of Nobel laureates from the university.

From our university, Professor Emeritus Akira Suzuki received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2010, and in 2021, Professor Benjamin List, University Professor at the Center for Chemical Reaction Creation (WPI-ICReDD) at Hokkaido University, also received the Nobel Prize. The new exhibition room showcases the research results of both researchers and a medal rack displaying replica medals.

One of the highlights of the newly renovated exhibition is the newly installed medal rack, which displays official replicas of the Nobel Prize medals of Professor Emeritus Suzuki and Professor List side by side. Made from Hokkaido-grown oak wood, the left half of the rack represents the cross-coupling reaction, a key achievement of Professor Emeritus Suzuki, and is modeled after two benzene rings (hexagons) joined together. The right half, on the other hand, is modeled after the molecular structure of L-proline (a five-membered amino acid), an organic catalyst used by Professor List in his research. Professor Emeritus Suzuki's replica medal is housed in a hexagonal golden frame, and Professor List's in a pentagonal golden frame, making the display rack itself a design that symbolizes their respective achievements.

Please check this out for details. *You will be redirected to the Hokkaido University core website.

Provided by the Public Relations and Communications Department