The 2024 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine has been awarded to Victor Ambrose and Gary Ruvkun for the discovery of microRNA and its role in post-transcriptional gene regulation.

The information contained in our chromosomes acts like an instruction manual for all our cells. While every cell has the same genes, different types of cells, like muscle and nerve cells, have unique characteristics. This happens through gene regulation, where each cell activates only the genes it needs.

Victor Ambrose and Gary Ruvkun were curious about how different types of cells are formed. He discovered microRNAs, small RNA molecules that play important roles in gene regulation. Their discovery introduced a new concept in gene regulation, which is now known to be important for multicellular organisms, including humans. The human genome contains over a thousand microRNAs, which are essential for development and function.

“This year’s Nobel Prize focuses on the discovery of an important regulatory mechanism used in cells to control gene activity. Genetic information flows from DNA to messenger RNA (mRNA), through a process called transcription, And then onto the cellular machinery for protein production. There, the mRNA is translated so that the protein can be made according to the genetic instructions stored in the DNA.”

Who won the Nobel Prize in Medicine?

Victor Ambrose He was born in 1953 in Hanover, New Hampshire, USA. He received his PhD from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1979 and worked there as a postdoctoral researcher until 1985. In 1985, he became Principal Investigator at Harvard University. From 1992 to 2007, he served as professor at Dartmouth Medical School, and he is currently the Silverman Professor of Natural Sciences at the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester, MA.

Gary Ruvkun Was born in 1952 in Berkeley, California, USA. He received his PhD from Harvard University in 1982, followed by postdoctoral work at MIT from 1982 to 1985. In 1985, he became Principal Investigator at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, where he is now Professor of Genetics.

This prestigious award is given annually by the Nobel Assembly, consisting of 50 professors from Karolinska Institutet, to recognize personnel who have made significant contributions to the field of medicine for the benefit of mankind.

The 2023 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to Catalin Carico and Drew Weissman for their discoveries related to nucleoside base modifications, which enabled the development of effective mRNA vaccines against COVID-19.

The announcement of the Nobel Prizes is a highly anticipated event every October, with committees convening in Stockholm and Oslo to announce the prize winners.

Since its inception in 1901, the Nobel Prize has been awarded to scientists who have made the most significant discoveries for the benefit of mankind.

When inventor, entrepreneur and businessman Alfred Nobel died, his will stated that his fortune would be used to reward “those who have rendered the greatest benefit to mankind during the previous year.” “