Nathalie Lannoy, Cédric HermansPublished in the journal : November 2020Category : Prix Nobel
The 2020 Nobel Prize in chemistry was jointly awarded to two geneticists Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer Doudna for their having developed the "Crispr-Cas9 molecular scissors". This real innovation pertaining to the molecular biology field is principally able to easily, quickly, and inexpensively edit the genome of any cell. Its use in all fields of life allows for scientific, medical, agronomic, and industrial applications both for better and worse.
The 2020 Nobel Prize in medicine was jointly awarded to three experts for their contribution to the discovery of the hepatitis C virus. This discovery has enabled us to better understand the epidemiology of the virus, as well as its mode of contamination and mode of reproduction, which has eventually resulted in the development of direct anti-viral agents. These medications are so powerful that the World Health Organization (WHO) has now included the objective of HCV eradication on their agenda.