STOCKHOLM, Sweden: On Monday, American scientists Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun were awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine for their pioneering work on microRNA and its role in gene regulation. Their research has significantly advanced the understanding of how genes are controlled, with implications for diseases like cancer, diabetes, and autoimmune disorders.
Ambros and Ruvkun conducted separate but collaborative research on the tiny roundworm C. elegans, focusing on why and when cell mutations occur. Their findings, published in 1993, revealed that microRNAs play a crucial role in gene regulation by allowing cells to activate only the necessary genetic instructions. This discovery opened new paths in molecular biology, showing how gene regulation is vital for multicellular organisms, including humans.
Ambros, 70, is a professor at the University of Massachusetts, and Ruvkun, 72, is based at Harvard Medical School. The duo will receive their Nobel Prize in Stockholm on December 10, including a diploma, a gold medal, and $1 million in prize money.
This year’s Nobel season will continue with announcements in physics, chemistry, literature, and peace later this week.
