'The Female Wave Hits the Nobel Prize' Sweeps Chemistry Award (Summary)

[Asia Economy Reporter Junho Hwang] This year's Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to two female scientists who contributed to the advancement of gene editing technology.

The Nobel Committee of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced at 6:45 PM on the 7th that the Chemistry Prize winners are Emmanuel Charpentier from France and Jennifer A. Doudna from the United States. Charpentier, born in France, is currently working at the Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology in Germany, and Doudna is a professor at the University of California, Berkeley in the United States.

Both developed the gene editing technology known as 'CRISPR-Cas9'. They discovered and demonstrated that by utilizing a specific protein that bacteria use to protect themselves from viral infection, it is possible to locate and edit specific sequences within genes, thereby altering genetic traits.

The Nobel Committee stated, "Using this technology, researchers can very precisely modify the DNA of animals, plants, and microorganisms," adding, "This technology has had a revolutionary impact on life sciences and has contributed to realizing the dream of developing new cancer treatments and curing genetic diseases."

Meanwhile, with two female scientists receiving the Nobel Prize in Chemistry this year, the total number of female Nobel laureates this year has increased to three. The day before, Andrea Ghez, a professor at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), received the Nobel Prize in Physics.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.