The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2024 awarded is given to American scientists Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun for pioneering work on microRNA, a discovery that has revolutionized the understanding of gene regulation. In their work, the US scientists have described how tiny molecules, microRNAs play a very vital role in controlling the way genes are expressed, a necessity for the development and function of multicellular organisms, including humans.
In fact, it happened to explain a rather basic biological process; it sheds light upon how the same DNA information can lead to varied cell types-bone, nerve, and skin cells-following with identical DNA. The findings of Ambros and Ruvkun transformed molecular biology when it opened its doors into a wild world of new developments in understanding various diseases, such as cancer.
The Nobel Assembly at Sweden’s Karolinska Institute praised the two winners in its announcement, dividing the prize money, 11 million Swedish kronor or around £810,000, between the two.