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Venki Ramakrishnan reappointed to British Library board

Venki Ramakrishnan is a scientist at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge.

Venki Ramakrishnan's work in this field earned him the 2009 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. (Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons)
Venki Ramakrishnan's work in this field earned him the 2009 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. (Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons)

VENKI Ramakrishnan has been reappointed as a board member of the British Library for a four-year term starting 15 June 2024 and ending 14 June 2028.

Ramakrishnan is a scientist at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge.


He is widely recognised for his research on the ribosome, a molecular complex critical to protein synthesis and life.

His work in this field earned him the 2009 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. He also served as president of the Royal Society from 2015 to 2020.

In addition to his scientific contributions, Ramakrishnan has authored two books: Why We Die: The New Science of Aging and the Quest for Immortality (2024) and Gene Machine (2018), a memoir about the race to uncover the structure of the ribosome.

As a trustee of the British Library, Ramakrishnan will receive an annual remuneration of £9,130.

His appointment adheres to the Cabinet Office’s Governance Code on Public Appointments, regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments.

Ramakrishnan has not declared any significant political activity in the past five years.

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