# Joachim Frank

_German-born American biophysicist and Nobel laureate_

Canonical: https://diginpl.com/people/joachim-frank
Last updated: 2026-10-31

> Joachim Frank ; born September 12, 1940) is a German-American biophysicist at Columbia University and a Nobel laureate. He is regarded as the founder of single-particle cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM), for which he shared the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2017 with Jacques Dubochet and Richard Henderson. He also made significant contributions to structure and function of the ribosome from bacteria and eukaryotes.

## Quick facts

- **Born:** 12 September 1940 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q28833112#P569))
- **Place of birth:** Weidenau ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q28833112#P19))
- **Citizenship:** United States; Germany ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q28833112#P27))
- **Occupation:** chemist; biophysicist; biologist ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q28833112#P106))
- **Education:** University of Freiburg; LMU Munich; Cornell University; Technical University of Munich ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q28833112#P69))
- **Awards:** Benjamin Franklin Medal; Nobel Prize in Chemistry; Knight Commander's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q28833112#P166))

## Questions

**When was Joachim Frank born?**  
Joachim Frank was born on 12 September 1940 in Weidenau.

**Where did Joachim Frank study?**  
Joachim Frank was educated at University of Freiburg, LMU Munich, Cornell University, Technical University of Munich.

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## Sources

- [Wikipedia (English): Joachim Frank](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joachim_Frank) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikidata item Q28833112](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q28833112) — [CC0 1.0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- [Image: Joachim Frank EM1B8792 (27115577469).jpg by Bengt Nyman from Vaxholm, Sweden (CC BY 2.0)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Joachim_Frank_EM1B8792_(27115577469).jpg)

## Licence and attribution

Text from the Wikipedia article Joachim Frank, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: Joachim Frank EM1B8792 (27115577469).jpg — Bengt Nyman from Vaxholm, Sweden, CC BY 2.0.

## Cite this page

"Joachim Frank". DigiNepal. Last updated 31 October 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/joachim-frank. Retrieved 6 November 2026.