Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun Awarded 2024 Nobel Prize in Medicine

The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for 2024 has been awarded to scientists Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun for their pioneering discovery of microRNA, a class of tiny RNA molecules that play a vital role in regulating gene expression. This breakthrough has introduced a completely new mechanism of gene regulation, essential for the proper functioning of multicellular organisms, including humans.

The Nobel Assembly at Sweden’s Karolinska Institute announced the prize, highlighting the profound impact of this discovery on our understanding of how genes are regulated. The winners will share a prize sum of 11 million Swedish crowns ($1.1 million).

Since its establishment in 1901, the Nobel Prize in Medicine has recognized some of the most transformative achievements in science. The discovery of microRNA by Ambros and Ruvkun now joins the ranks of other famous breakthroughs like Alexander Fleming’s discovery of penicillin.