On Monday, 7th October, Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun received the Nobel prize for their discovery of microRNA. They are selected by the Nobel Assembly of Sweden's Karolinska Institute Medical University and have received a prize sum of 11 million Swedish crowns that is 1.1 million dollars.
The award giving body announced, “The Nobel Assembly at the Karolinska Institute has decided to award the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine jointly to Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun for the discovery of microRNA and its role in post-transcriptional gene regulation.”
The Noble prize read, “This year’s Nobel Prize focuses on the discovery of a vital regulatory mechanism used in cells to control gene activity. Genetic information flows from DNA to messenger RNA (mRNA), via a process called transcription, and then on to the cellular machinery for protein production. There, mRNAs are translated so that proteins are made according to the genetic instructions stored in DNA.”
"Their ground-breaking discovery in the small worm C. elegans revealed a completely new principle of gene regulation. This turned out to be essential for multicellular organisms, including humans. MicroRNAs are proving to be fundamentally important for how organisms develop and function,” it further added.
What is MicroRNA?
MicroRNA is a family of molecules that helps the cells of the body to control the kinds and amounts of proteins they produce. It is a small, non-coding RNA molecule that regulates the gene expression. In simple words, cells use microRNA to help them control the gene expression. Molecules of microRNA are found in the cells and in the bloodstream.
Gene expression means the amount of protein made by a particular gene. It refers to whether a particular gene is making too much, too little or the normal amount of its protein at a particular time.
These Nobel prize winners were interested in the development of different cell types. They discovered microRNA, a new class of tiny RNA molecules that play an important role in gene regulation. Their role is essential in maintaining normal cell function. The change or disruptions in microRNA activity can cause diseases such as cancer.
Their discovery has introduced an entirely new dimension to gene regulation and has revealed a new principle of gene regulation that is essential for all the multicellular organisms, including human beings.