Rabat – The 2023 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine has been awarded to American researchers Katalin Kariko and Drew Weissman for their work that directly inspired the development of the first COVID-19 mRNA vaccines made by Pfizer and Moderna.
Kariko and Weissman collaborated on their award-winning research project at the University of Pennsylvania.
On December 10, which marks the anniversary of the scientist Alfred Nobel’s passing in 1896, the two researchers will receive their reward from Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf at a solemn event in Stockholm.
The prize will consist of a diploma, a gold medal, and a $1 million cheque.
Kevan Shokat, an American biologist who discovered how to disable the KRAS cancer gene responsible for a third of cancers, including hard-to-treat lung, colon, and pancreatic tumors, was among the front-runners for this year’s award in medicine.
Two other biologists, namely Stanislas Leibler and Michael Elowitz, were also nominated for their work on artificial gene circuits, which helped to create the field of synthetic biology.
Last year’s Nobel Prize award was won by Svante Paabo, a Swedish scientist, for his research on human evolution that revealed Neanderthal DNA’s secrets and gave important new information on the immune system, particularly how vulnerable people are to severe COVID-19.
Each year, the Nobel Prizes in Physiology or Medicine, Physics, Chemistry, Literature, and Peace are presented during the first week of October at the Stockholm Concert Hall.
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