(Stockholm) The Nobel Prize in Medicine was awarded on Monday to two researchers whose discoveries enabled the development of effective messenger RNA vaccines against COVID-19.
The important honor went to Hungarian biochemist Katalin Karikó and American physician researcher Drew Weissman.
“With their groundbreaking discoveries, which fundamentally changed our understanding of how messenger RNA interacts with our immune system, the winners contributed to the unprecedented pace at which vaccines were developed in one of the largest threats to human health in modern times,” argued the jury which awarded the prize.
Thomas Perlmann, who is secretary of the Nobel Assembly, was responsible for contacting the winners to tell them the good news. He said both winners were “stunned” when they learned they were being recognized for their highly prized work.
The announcement of Nobel Prize winners will continue throughout the week, with the physics prize on Tuesday, chemistry on Wednesday and literature on Thursday. The winner of the Nobel Peace Prize will be announced on Friday.
The prizes come with a reward of 11 million Swedish crowns (1.3 million). These sums come from the inheritance left by the creator of the prize, the Swedish inventor Alfred Nobel, who died in 1896.
The winners are invited to receive their prize at a ceremony which takes place each year on December 10, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death. The prestigious Peace Prize is awarded in Oslo, according to his wishes, while the other award ceremony takes place in Stockholm.
Last year, the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to Swedish scientist Svante Paabo for his discoveries on human evolution. His work has revealed the secrets of Neanderthal DNA and provided crucial information about our immune systems, including our vulnerability to severe forms of COVID-19.