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Two scientists received this year’s Nobel Prize in Chemistry for the method of gene editing, which changes the “code” of life in just a few weeks.
Two scientists were awarded the 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Photo: Nobel Prize.
The award was announced by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences at 4:45 p.m. today. Scientists Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer A. Doudna have discovered one of the sharpest tools in genetic engineering, the CRISPR / Cas9 “scissors.” With this tool he has revolutionized molecular biological sciences, providing new opportunities for plant breeding, contributing to innovative cancer therapies and possibly turning the dream of curing metastatic diseases. translated into reality.
Researchers must change genes in cells if they want to understand the internal mechanisms of living organisms. This used to be time consuming, difficult, and sometimes impossible. Now, with CRISPR / Cas9, scientists can change the “code” of life (DNA) in just a few weeks, said Göran K. Hansson, secretary general of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. .
“This genetic tool has enormous power, impacting all of us. It has not only revolutionized basic science, it has also led to the birth of new crops and innovative treatments. In medicine,” said Claes Gustafsson, president of the Nobel Council for Chemistry.
The discovery of these gene editing tools came as a surprise. During the investigation, Streptococcus pyogenes, one of the most harmful bacteria for humans. Emmanuelle Charpentier discovered a previously unknown molecule, tracrRNA. Their research shows that tracrRNA is part of the ancient bacterial immune system called CRISPR / Cas. CRISPR / Cas weakens viruses by cleaving their DNA.
Charpentier published his research in 2011. That same year, he began collaborating with Jennifer Doudna, a seasoned biochemist with an academic understanding of RNA. They successfully replicated the “genetic attraction” of bacteria in vitro and simplified the molecular makeup of the “scissors” to make them easier to use.
Last year’s Nobel Prize in Chemistry named three scientists, John B. Goodenough, M. Stanley Whittingham, and Akira Yoshino, for their research on lithium-ion batteries.
From 1901 to 2019, the Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded 111 times, 63 times with a single recipient. Among the honorees, there were 5 women. Chemist Frederick Sanger is the only person to win the Nobel Prize in Chemistry twice in 1958 and 1980. Frédéric Joliot was the youngest person to receive the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1935, when he was only 35 years old. Meanwhile, John B. Goodenough became the oldest person to receive the Nobel Prize in Chemistry at the age of 97.
Nobel is an international award established by the Nobel Foundation in Stockholm in 1901 based on the assets of Alfred Nobel, a Swedish inventor and businessman.
The awards are given annually to individuals and organizations with outstanding contributions in the fields of Medicine, Chemistry, Physics, Literature, and Peace. In 1968, the Central Bank of Sweden established the Bank of Sweden Prize in Economic Sciences in honor of the Nobel Prize, also known as the Nobel Prize in Economics.
Each award includes a medal, proof of identity and a bonus. Between 1901 and 2019, awards were given 597 times to 950 individuals and organizations around the world.
Science department
