Michael Rossmann will be remembered as a pioneer of structural biology, having contributed to our understanding of the atomic structure of viruses. His work provided fundamental insights into how viruses infect cells and replicate, as well as how proteins fold.

The Rossmann fold discovery was a major milestone, revealing a common structural feature of many nucleotide-binding proteins.

His contributions to the field of virology and protein structure have provided crucial knowledge for the development of antiviral drugs and vaccines, marking him as a central figure in the ongoing battle against viral diseases.

He was elected as member of the European Academy of Engineering in 1994.