Bengt Nordén, after graduation in chemistry, theoretical physics and mathematics at Lund University, earned a PhD there in 1971. In 1979 he was appointed Chair Professor of Physical Chemistry of Chalmers University of Technology, still as Emeritus a part-time appointment.
Nordén’s research deals with chirality and optical anisotropy, especially linear dichroism of oriented molecules. He has contributed new methods for studying molecular conformation in systems not amenable to crystallography in solution or in membranes. He has developed new DNA-binding compounds including bis-intercalating ones and peptide nucleic acids (PNA). His group discovered reorganisation between different DNA binding modes with extreme activation energies and recognition due to kinetic (in contrast to thermodynamic) selection mechanism. Using “Site Specific Linear Dichroism by Molecular Replacement”, complexes of RecA and Rad51 recombinase proteins with DNA, and recombination mechanisms, were studied. Related to homologous genetic recombination reactions, hydrophobic effects on stabilization and de-stabilization of nucleic base stacking are studied using laser-tweezer single-molecule pulling force measurements.
In commissions of trust Nordén has served as chair of chemistry/physics sections of the Swedish Research Council, the European Science Foundation, the Science Europe and the European Research Council. Since 2008 he is Chair of the Nanyang Technological University Research Council (Singapore) and since 2005 Chair of the board of editors of Quarterly Reviews of Biophysics. Nordén is a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences where he was member of the Nobel Committee for Chemistry (and 2000-2003 its chairman). He is a member of several international academies including the German National Academy of Sciences (Leopoldina), The Norwegian Academy of Science, The Finnish Society of Science and Letters, as well as The World Academy of Sciences .
Nordén is founder of the Molecular Frontiers Foundation (www.molecularfrontiers.com) a global organization with objective to early identify breakthroughs in science and to stimulate young people’s interests in science. Molecular Frontiers has in its Advisory Board many still very research active Nobel Laureates.
Among awards that Nordén has received may be mentioned The Goran Gustafsson’s Prize for Chemistry (1992), The King Abdullah University of Science and Technology Award (2008), The Svante Arrhenius Gold Medal (2009) and the Chalmers Gold Medal (2017).
