The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2020 was awarded jointly to French scientist Emmanuelle Charpentier and American biochemist Jennifer A. Doudna for the development of a method for genome editing known as CRISPR.
BREAKING NEWS:
The 2020 #NobelPrize in Chemistry has been awarded to Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer A. Doudna “for the development of a method for genome editing.” pic.twitter.com/CrsnEuSwGD— The Nobel Prize (@NobelPrize) October 7, 2020
CRISPR being hailed as one of gene technology’s sharpest tools has been likened to “molecular scissors” that offer the promise of one day curing genetic diseases. Using these, researchers can change the DNA of animals, plants and microorganisms with extremely high precision. This technology has had a revolutionary impact on the life sciences, is contributing to new cancer therapies and may make the dream of curing inherited diseases come true. CRISPR now makes it possible to change the code of life over the course of a few weeks.
“There is enormous power in this genetic tool, which affects us all,” said Claes Gustafsson, chair of the Nobel Committee for Chemistry.
The recipients were announced Wednesday in Stockholm by Goran Hansson, Secretary-General of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.
The prestigious award comes with a gold medal and prize money of 10 million krona (more than $1.1 million), courtesy of a bequest left more than a century ago by the prize’s creator, Swedish inventor Alfred Nobel. The amount was increased recently to adjust for inflation.
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