The 2024 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine has been awarded to scientists from the United States.

Representatives of the Nobel Assembly at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden announced that in 2024, the prize in Physiology or Medicine will be awarded to American molecular biologist and geneticist, Professor Victor Ambros from the University of Massachusetts in Worcester, along with his colleague Gary Ruvkun from Harvard — for their “discovery of a fundamental principle of gene activity regulation.”

“Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun discovered microRNAs — a new class of tiny ribonucleic acid molecules that play a crucial role in gene regulation. This groundbreaking discovery, made using the roundworm C. elegans, revealed an entirely new principle of gene regulation. This has proven essential for multicellular organisms, including humans. MicroRNAs are fundamentally important for how organisms develop and function,” — states the press release.

The new principle of gene regulation mediated by microRNAs was described by Ambros and Ruvkun in 1993 in two articles published in the scientific journal Cell.

The Nobel Prize is one of the most prestigious international awards. According to the will of Alfred Nobel, the Swedish chemist and inventor of dynamite, it is awarded annually for outstanding achievements in various fields of science: Physiology or Medicine, Physics, Chemistry, Literature, and Social Activity (Peace Prize).

In addition to the main categories, there is the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences, which was established by the Bank of Sweden in 1968.

The process of selecting laureates begins with the nomination of candidates — specifically, this right is held by scientific institutions and public organizations. The Nobel Committee then selects the most deserving candidates and determines the winners. The statutes of the Nobel Foundation prohibit disclosing information about those who were nominated, whether publicly or privately, for 50 years.

The schedule for Nobel Week 2024 is as follows: October 7 — Physiology or Medicine, October 8 — Physics, October 9 — Chemistry, October 10 — Literature, October 11 — Peace Prize, October 14 — Economic Sciences Prize.

The award ceremonies will traditionally take place in Stockholm and Oslo on December 10 — the anniversary of Nobel's death. In addition to diplomas and medals, each laureate this year (or laureates if there are multiple in one category) will receive 11 million Swedish kronor, which is approximately equivalent to 1.1 million US dollars.