U.S. scientists David Julius and Ardem Patapoutian have won the Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine for their discoveries of receptors for temperature and touch, the assembly announced on Monday.
The winners were announced by Thomas Perlmann, secretary-general of the Nobel Committee.
This year the prize once again holds particular significance as the world continues to grapple with the coronavirus pandemic, and the importance of medical research is of especially high interest. The virus has so far killed more than 4.8 million people worldwide, according to a tally from Johns Hopkins University.
The award comes with prize money worth 10 million Swedish kronor (over $1,143,000), thanks to a bequest left 125 years ago by the prize’s creator Swedish inventor and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
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Nobel stipulated in his will that most of his estate should be converted into a fund and invested. The income from those investments should then be distributed annually in the form of prizes among those who during the preceding year “have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind.”
Each year the Nobel Committee sends out invitation letters to chosen members of the wider scientific community to nominate one to three individuals who have made a discovery in physiology or medicine.
The Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine has been awarded 111 times to 222 individuals between 1901 and 2020.
Oct. 13, 202001:06
Two Americans and a Briton won the prize last year for the discovery of Hepatitis C virus, as the world was ravaged by the coronavirus.
Prizes in physics, chemistry, literature, peace and economics will be announced in the coming days.
The Associated Press contributed.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
