Nobel Prize 2024 in Medicine: Victor Ambros, Gary Ruvkun awarded for discovery of microRNA  

The Nobel Prize in Medicine was awarded to Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun, as announced by the Nobel Assembly at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm on October 7. 

The duo jointly received the prestigious award for their discovery of microRNA and its role in regulating gene expression after transcription. 

Ambros and Ruvkun were interested in how different cell types develop. They discovered microRNA, a new class of tiny RNA molecules that play a crucial role in gene regulation, according to an official statement. 

Their groundbreaking discovery revealed a completely new principle of gene regulation that turned out to be essential for multicellular organisms, including humans.

It is now known that the human genome codes for over one thousand microRNAs. Their surprising discovery revealed an entirely new dimension to gene regulation. MicroRNAs are proving to be fundamentally important for how organisms develop and function, the release said.

This year’s Nobel Prize focuses on the discovery of a vital regulatory mechanism used in cells to control gene activity. Genetic information flows from DNA to messenger RNA (mRNA), via a process called transcription, and then on to the cellular machinery for protein production.  

There, mRNAs are translated so that proteins are made according to the genetic instructions stored in DNA. Since the mid-20th century, several of the most fundamental scientific discoveries have explained how these processes work. 

The prizes, which will be announced from October 7 to 14, come with an award of 11 million Swedish crowns. 

The Medicine Prize has been awarded 114 times to a total of 227 laureates. Of these, only 13 women have been recipients. The prize includes a cash award of 11 million Swedish kronor (around Rs 8.3 crore), part of a bequest from the prize's founder, Swedish inventor Alfred Nobel.

The announcements for other Nobel Prizes will continue throughout the week, with the Physics Prize on Tuesday, Chemistry on Wednesday, Literature on Thursday, the Peace Prize on Friday, and the Economics award on October 14.