Ambros, Ruvkun Win 2024 Nobel Medicine Prize for MicroRNA Discovery

By Adedapo Adesanya

The 2024 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine has been awarded to Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun for discovering microRNA, which plays a crucial role in gene regulation.

The duo were awarded on Monday, October 7,  for discovering microRNA, a new class of tiny RNA molecules that play a crucial role in gene regulation.

This discovery revealed a completely new principle of gene regulation which the Nobel committee said is essential for multicellular organisms, including humans.

Due to their input, it is now known that the human genome codes for over one thousand microRNAs as their surprising discovery revealed an entirely new dimension to gene regulation.

MicroRNAs are proving to be fundamentally important for how organisms develop and function.

Although the initial research didn’t get much buzz from the scientific community, it wasn’t until later years and more discoveries before the attention came to both individuals.

The Nobel Assembly said: “Their groundbreaking discovery revealed a completely new principle of gene regulation that turned out to be essential for multicellular organisms, including humans. It is now known that the human genome codes for over one thousand microRNAs. Their surprising discovery revealed an entirely new dimension to gene regulation. MicroRNAs are proving to be fundamentally important for how organisms develop and function.”

The Nobel Assembly, consisting of 50 professors at Karolinska Institutet, awards the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.

Its Nobel Committee evaluates nominations and since 1901 the Nobel Prize has been awarded to scientists who have made the most important discoveries for the benefit of humankind.

Other prizes including Physics (Tuesday), Chemistry (Wednesday) literature (Thursday), peace (Friday) and Economics (Next Monday) will be awarded over the next week.