Nobel Prize 2024 in Medicine-Ambros and Ruvkun for MicroRNA Discovery

October 7, 2024

The Nobel Prize in Medicine for 2024 was awarded to Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun for discovering microRNA and its vital role in controlling how genes work after they are copied. This discovery changed how we understand gene regulation, showing how certain genes are turned on or off to support different cell functions, like in muscle or nerve cells.

What is Gene Regulation?

Inside every cell, genes act like instructions that tell the cell how to function. Even though all the cells in our body have the same genes, they can behave very differently. For example, muscle cells and nerve cells look and act differently, even though they share the same genetic code. This happens because only certain genes are turned on in each cell type, depending on what the cell needs to do. This process is called gene regulation.

The Discovery of MicroRNA

Ambros and Ruvkun’s research led to the discovery of microRNA (miRNA)—tiny RNA molecules that play a big role in gene regulation. These small pieces of RNA help control which genes are active in a cell. Their research found that humans have over a thousand different microRNAs, and they are important for growth, development, and many other processes.

Who is Victor Ambros?

Victor Ambros was born in 1953 in Hanover, New Hampshire. He made a major discovery in 1993 when he identified the first microRNA from a gene called lin-4 in a tiny roundworm species, C. elegans. This discovery was a big step forward in understanding how cells develop and change. Ambros has taught at several universities, including the University of Massachusetts Medical School, and has earned numerous awards for his groundbreaking research.

Who is Gary Ruvkun?

Gary Ruvkun was born in March 1952 in Berkeley, California. He is known for his work in explaining how the gene lin-4 controls messenger RNA, which carries genetic information used to make proteins. He also discovered the second microRNA, called let-7. Ruvkun is a professor at Harvard Medical School, where he continues to research microRNAs and how they influence cell behavior. He has received many honors for his contributions to genetics and biology.

The research by Ambros and Ruvkun has changed how scientists view gene regulation. Their discoveries explain how cells with the same DNA can perform different functions by turning specific genes on or off. This is key to understanding how living organisms grow, develop, and function. Their work is especially important for research into diseases like cancer, where gene regulation often goes wrong.

« Previous Post Next Post »