In a significant recognition of groundbreaking research, the Nobel Assembly at Sweden’s Karolinska Institutet has awarded the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine to American scientists Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun for their pioneering work on microRNA and its crucial function in regulating gene expression after transcription.
The duo’s discovery revealed a pivotal principle of gene activity regulation, introducing microRNA as a new class of small RNA molecules integral to gene regulation.
Their research uncovered a novel dimension of gene regulation, vital for the development and functioning of multicellular organisms, including humans.
Their investigations demonstrated that the human genome encodes over a thousand distinct microRNAs, which play essential roles in organismal development and physiological processes.
The Nobel Assembly emphasized the importance of their findings, stating, “Whereas proteins in the nucleus regulate RNA transcription and splicing, microRNAs control the translation and degradation of mRNA in the cytoplasm.”
This groundbreaking insight highlights an unforeseen layer of post-transcriptional gene regulation that is crucial throughout animal development and in various adult cell types, underscoring its significance for complex multicellular life.
As part of their recognition, Ambros and Ruvkun will share a monetary award of 11 million Swedish crowns, equivalent to approximately $1.1 million.
Victor Ambros, born in 1953 in New Hampshire, completed his PhD at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1979, where he continued his postdoctoral research until 1985.
He currently holds the position of Silverman Professor of Natural Science at the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester, Massachusetts.
Meanwhile, Gary Ruvkun, born in California in 1952, earned his PhD from Harvard University in 1982 and is currently a Professor of Genetics at Harvard Medical School.
The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine is conferred annually by the assembly of 50 professors at the Karolinska Institutet to honor individuals who have made substantial contributions to medicine, benefiting humanity at large.
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