MicroRNA Scientists Awarded Nobel Prize

Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.

[{"selector":"#anim-5037a3c0-4f42-4827-b71f-b83077b52cd3","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-2cbad46f-85d1-4876-a2e3-21b80a559f1e","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-629d8f8f-7b40-489c-b30b-3159b94bdc47 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(16.079045633024244%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] Img Credit:sciencenews

Their research focused on microRNA, small RNA molecules.

[{"selector":"#anim-19d0eb5e-de12-4129-aa6e-45e82cf0cdd3 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(-19.604772104097194%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-48c2d360-793c-4ef6-8b3d-9db85fd3404c","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-04bb084e-94a1-4974-bdf3-43899a5ca662","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] Img Credit:sciencenews

MicroRNAs control gene activity, crucial for multicellular organisms.

[{"selector":"#anim-486a35a3-7212-45e2-9ab0-350738b5a7fb [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(16.079045633024244%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-246760af-6031-4ad1-8693-08a01d3ca71a","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e5c595a1-2163-45a9-b451-20eac0adf4f5","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] Img Credit:sciencenews

These molecules act as molecular switches for turning genes on or off.

[{"selector":"#anim-ad3dc207-6f7b-45ab-8d23-5a181ed5b13c [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(-19.509242034736083%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c847de98-9c91-45a1-a09d-47ccad96cfdd","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-6db1da32-f3d3-4602-87a0-8e3d18acf141","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] Img Credit:sciencenews

They influence protein production after RNA transcription.

[{"selector":"#anim-87cca09a-cb1e-4581-89e0-ab6628425db1 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(16.079045633024244%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-07afed83-5079-46d0-a666-1e63860160e5","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b071e6d1-e3f4-42f8-b47c-632dd79b5b82","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] Img Credit:sciencenews

This discovery changed our understanding of gene regulation.

[{"selector":"#anim-32deaf8c-041d-48ce-ad00-5014020cc118 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(-19.723629309843083%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-6a3b8e35-a5f4-4e7f-9f3b-ffbdcfdb1ab2","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f1218eca-ae49-4d52-b59d-adc79de4923b","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] Img Credit:sciencenews

It highlights the role of post-transcriptional control in gene expression.

[{"selector":"#anim-7cd45a19-846f-4f48-a824-2b4439c7c5f4 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(16.079045633024244%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-33f3a068-c2da-4468-8617-318c43030398","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a5b5bb5a-3193-4dc8-abf8-29e4546c8e79","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] Img Credit:sciencenews

The Nobel committee emphasized its importance to biology.

[{"selector":"#anim-5a7b9226-c8a5-4cfa-bd8b-ab476b652976 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(-18.651692934308123%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-3ff833c7-e6f9-48d0-aa40-49e9fdb3b497","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-32e7b93e-1616-4baa-a1b6-90530e447208","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] Img Credit:sciencenews

Their work has opened a new field of research.

[{"selector":"#anim-d7b285c7-e0b7-430c-803e-9b7c694826fb [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(16.079045633024244%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-84f19bfa-02a5-4c38-a72a-261ca00d3bcd","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f4c3dd5b-4290-4c83-9f8a-fc51ba00de46","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] Img Credit:sciencenews

It has significant implications for understanding various biological processes.

[{"selector":"#anim-9c71b8c4-c3c9-485a-b2c1-2acf76114142 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(-19.080467484522103%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-414eea63-c90b-442b-8c55-6b43032c4825","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f0c7b2c5-4372-4b27-95cb-376fed1e878b","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] Img Credit:sciencenews