The Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine was awarded for the discovery of miRNA

Victor Embros and Gary Ravkun/Nobel Prize

The Nobel Committee named the winners of the Physiology and Medicine Prize in 2024, they are scientists from the United States Victor Ambros and Gary Ravkun.

This is about in a press release on the Nobel Prize website.

Researchers Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun discovered miRNA, a new class of tiny RNAmolecules that play a critical role in gene regulation. They discovered microRNA in the small worm C. elegans, which was a revolutionary discovery.

This showed a completely new principle of gene regulation, which is necessary for multicellular organisms, in particular for humans. Currently, it is known that microRNAs are fundamentally important for the development and functioning of organisms.

This year's Nobel Prize is dedicated to the discovery of a vital regulatory mechanism used in cells to control gene activity. Genetic information is transferred from DNA to messenger RNA (mRNA) through a process called transcription, and then to the cellular machinery for protein production. There, mRNAs are translated so that proteins are formed according to genetic instructions stored in DNA, the press release explains.

200% Deposit Bonus up to €3,000 180% First Deposit Bonus up to $20,000

Proteins perform many functions in the body, including building tissues, maintaining cell structures, participating in metabolic processes, and protecting the body.

BREAKING NEWS
The 2024 #NobelPrize in Physiology or Medicine has been awarded to Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun for the discovery of microRNA and its role in post-transcriptional gene regulation. pic.twitter.com/rg3iuN6pgY

— The Nobel Prize (@NobelPrize) October 7, 2024

The Nobel Prize is one of the most prestigious international prizes awarded annually for outstanding scientific research, revolutionary inventions or a significant contribution to culture or the development of society.

The prize in the field of physiology and medicine has been awarded since 1901. According to Alfred Nobel's will, the winner of the award in this nomination is determined by the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, founded in 1810.

In 2023, the Nobel Prize in Medicine was awarded to Catalin Carrico and Drew Weissman for “discoveries in the field of modification of nucleic acid bases that allowed the development of effective mRNA vaccines against COVID-19”.