Two win Nobel chemistry for 'genetic scissors'

FE Team | Published: October 07, 2020 23:58:48

Two scientists have been awarded the 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for developing the tools to edit DNA, reports BBC.
Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer Doudna are the first two women to share the prize, which honours their work on the technology of genome editing.
Their discovery, known as Crispr-Cas9 "genetic scissors", is a way of making specific and precise changes to the DNA contained in living cells.
They will split the prize money of 10 million krona (£861,200; $1,110,400).
The women's technology has been transformative for basic science research and it could also be used to treat, or even cure, inherited illnesses.
Prof Charpentier, from the Max Planck Unit for the Science of Pathogens in Berlin, said it was an emotional moment when she learned about the award.
"When it happens, you're very surprised, and you think it's not real. But obviously it's real," she said.
On being one of the first two women to share the prize, Prof Charpentier said: "I wish that this will provide a positive message specifically for young girls who would like to follow the path of science... and to show them that women in science can also have an impact with the research they are performing."
She continued: "This is not just for women, but we see a clear lack of interest in following a scientific path, which is very worrying."
Commenting on the discovery, biological chemist Pernilla Wittung-Stafshede, said: "The ability to cut DNA where you want has revolutionised the life sciences."