US scientists Julius, Patapoutin to share the Nobel Prize in medicine
New Delhi: The Nobel Committee on Monday announced that the Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine has been awarded to US scientists David Julius and Ardem Patapoutian.
They were selected for their discovery of receptors for temperature and touch. Thomas Perlmann, secretary-general of the Nobel Committee, made the announcement.
Julius used capsaicin, the active component in chile peppers, to identify the nerve sensors that allow the skin to respond to heat. Patapoutian found separate pressure-sensitive sensors in cells that respond to mechanical stimulation, the committee said.
“This really unlocks one of the secrets of nature. It’s actually something that is crucial for our survival, so it’s a very important and profound discovery.”
Three scientists who discovered the liver-ravaging hepatitis C virus, a breakthrough that led to cures for the deadly disease and tests to keep the scourge from spreading through blood banks shared last year’s Prize.
The prestigious award carries a gold medal and 10 million Swedish kronor (over USD 1.14 million). The prize money comes from a bequest left by the Prize’s creator, Swedish inventor Alfred Nobel, known for dynamite, who died in 1895.
The Prize for medicine/physiology is the first to be awarded this year. The other prizes are for outstanding work in the fields of physics, chemistry, literature, peace, and economics.
(VP)
