An American, an Israeli and an Italian will receive prestigious Wolf Prizes this year, the Wolf Foundation announced Monday.

The prize, to be awarded in a Jerusalem ceremony in May, will be shared by Ada Yonath, a professor at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, and George Feher, a professor at the University of California, San Diego, the foundation said in a statement.

Also, Italian artist Michelangelo Pistoletto will receive the 2007 Wolf Prize in the arts.

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Each prize is worth $100,000.

Yonath, 67, was awarded the prize for her work in understanding the production of proteins. "Her work paves the way to dealing with the crucial issue of drug activity and resistance mechanisms," the statement said.

Feher, 82, is to receive the award for his research on photosynthesis, "revealing the basic principles of light energy conversion in biology."

Pistoletto, 73, will be honored for "his ability to come up with new possibilities and to encourage the application of imagination to artistic and social change." His work with various media establishes "a system for communication between art and every other human activity."

The Israel-based foundation was established by Ricardo Wolf, a German-born inventor, diplomat and philanthropist who spent the last years of his life as Cuba's representative in Israel, where he died in 1981.

The statement said prizes are awarded "for achievements in the interest of mankind and friendly relations among peoples." Since 1978, 232 scientists and artists have received prizes.