"How Do People Perceive Spicy Taste?"... Curiosity That Led to the Nobel Prize (Comprehensive)

Nobel Committee Announces 'Physiology or Medicine Prize' to Two American Scientists
For Unraveling Neural Network Mechanisms Behind Human Sensory Perception

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-su] This year's Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to two American scientists who elucidated the mechanism of human tactile sensation. It is once again confirmed that dedication to basic science is essential to winning a Nobel Prize.

The Nobel Committee at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, which oversees the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, announced on the evening of the 4th (local time) that they had decided to award the prize jointly to Professor David Julius of the University of California and Professor Ardem Patapoutian of the Scripps Research Institute.

Both were recognized for discovering how humans perceive and respond to temperature and stimuli. Professor Julius is well known for his 1997 paper published in the international journal Nature, which presented research utilizing the spicy taste of capsaicin.

Professors David Julius and Ardem Patapoutian (right), winners of the 2021 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.

He discovered the receptor cells called ‘TRPV1’ that detect pain and heat, based on the insight that eating capsaicin causes sensations of pain and heat. Subsequently, through joint research with Professor Patapoutian, they identified an additional temperature receptor called ‘TRPV8’ that responds to cold temperatures. Later, Professor Patapoutian independently identified the roles of sensory cells named Piezo1 and Piezo2, which respond to mechanical stimuli applied to the skin in the 2000s.

The Nobel Committee stated, "Their groundbreaking research has enabled us to understand how neural processes allow us to perceive and adapt to the surrounding world, including heat, cold, and mechanical stimuli," adding, "These research results are being utilized for the development of treatments for a wide range of diseases, including chronic pain."

Domestic scientists responded to this award by reaffirming the importance of basic scientific research. Professor Han Hee-cheol of Korea University College of Medicine said, "This award result shows how important basic research, which may seem to be done out of curiosity, actually is," and pointed out, "Korea must create systems and change the atmosphere so that the government and society can conduct basic scientific research freely, long-term, and stably in order to win a Nobel Prize."

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