Two US Scientists Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun awarded the 2024 Nobel Prize in Medicine for discovering microRNA

Two US Scientists Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun have been awarded the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their discovery of microRNA and its crucial role in gene regulation.

The Nobel Assembly announced on Monday that the two U.S.-based scientists identified a new class of tiny RNA molecules, microRNAs, which are essential for regulating gene activity.

“Their groundbreaking discovery revealed a completely new principle of gene regulation, which is vital for multicellular organisms, including humans,” the Assembly’s statement read.

Ambros conducted his Nobel-winning research at Harvard University and is now a professor of natural science at the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School. Ruvkun carried out his research at Massachusetts General Hospital and the Harvard Medical School, where he is a professor of genetics, according to Thomas Perlmann, secretary of the Nobel Committee.

The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine is traditionally the first of the Nobel prizes announced each year, with the remaining five to be revealed in the following days.

The laureates are chosen by the Nobel Assembly at Sweden’s Karolinska Institute, and the award comes with a prize of 11 million Swedish crowns ($1.1 million).

Established through the will of Swedish inventor Alfred Nobel, the Nobel Prizes have been awarded since 1901 for achievements in science, literature, and peace, with the prize in economics added later.

The Peace Prize, notably, is the only Nobel award presented in Oslo, rather than Stockholm, reflecting the historical political union between Sweden and Norway when Nobel wrote his will.

Past recipients of the Nobel Prize in Medicine include famous figures like Ivan Pavlov, who won in 1904 for his work on behavioral conditioning, and Alexander Fleming, who shared the 1945 prize for the discovery of penicillin.