Every year, Nobel Prize week begins with the announcement of the prize in physiology or medicine on Monday in Stockholm. And the decision of the Nobel Prize Committee comes as a surprise in the third year of the pandemic. The award goes to Swedish evolutionary biologist and researcher Svante Pääbo. Pääbo was honored “for his discoveries about the genomes of the ancestors of modern humans and human evolution,” the statement said. For example, he managed to sequence the genome of Neanderthals. He was also able to identify another genus of our ancestors, the Denisovans. Pääbo’s father, Sune Bergström, was also awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1982.
Pääbo is considered one of the pioneers of what is known as paleogenetics. He was able to isolate and analyze this ancient hominid DNA. This in itself is no easy feat, because after thousands of years, Neanderthal bones in the ground are so heavily colonized by bacteria and fungi that up to 99.9% of the DNA found in them comes from microbes. But even if the work is piecemeal, the question behind Pääbo’s research is: “What distinguishes us as Homo sapiens from our ancestors? What makes us unique?” the committee explained in the rationale.
The winner’s reaction
Through his research, which can resemble a jigsaw puzzle with an infinite number of pieces, Pääbo has achieved what other experts have described as impossible – namely, the sequencing of the Neanderthal genome. And that genome will still have meaning in 2022. “It is also important that Pääbo discovered that after emigration from Africa about 70,000 years ago, a transfer of genes from these now extinct human ancestors to Homo sapiens took place. modern ones also have current physiological relevance and affect, for example, how our immune system reacts to infections”, the Nobel Prize Committee justified its decision.
Thomas Perlman, chairman of the medical committee, says of Pääbo’s reaction to his award: “He was impressed, speechless and very happy. He asked me if he could tell his wife.” The call reached Pääbo in Leipzig, where he is one of the five directors of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology and the University of Leipzig.
The Godfather of Ancient DNA Research
The decision was positively received by Ron Pinhasi of the Department of Evolutionary Anthropology at the University of Vienna on Monday. “Svante Pääbo is the ‘godfather’ of ancient DNA for us,” the researcher told the Austria Press Agency. Pääbo made the field of research what it is today. “As an ancient DNA researcher, I can’t think of a more appropriate person to represent the field.” Pääbo is an “exceptional researcher” and accessible despite his status, Pinhasi explained. Pääbo worked on his vision for many decades, which is still more than relevant today.
Knowledge about the genetic inheritance of the ancestors of modern humans would be widely used today. Pääbo also showed that certain Neanderthal genes have a protective effect against Covid-19 and HIV infections. “This shows the value of these genomes,” Pinhasi said. As a scientist, Pääbo approached the subject without “sensationalism” and with great “seriousness”. Initially, the focus was on extracting and decoding the genome itself, and then deducing the evolutionary events that made the new discoveries possible. Not only did Pääbo work with the genetic material, he “also brought it to a level that you can use and compare it. That’s why I think he got the award,” Pinhasi said.
came empty handed
As in 2021, Biontech founders Özlem Türeci and Uğur Şahin left empty-handed. They were also traded as favourites, as was Katalin Karikó. The Hungarian, who also works for Biontech, is considered one of the pioneers of mRNA technology, which she originally developed for cancer therapy.
Last year, the American researcher David Julius and the Lebanese molecular biologist Ardem Patapoutian were honored. They were awarded for their discoveries of human receptors for temperature and touch sensitivity.
The rest of the Nobel Prize calendar
The physics winners will be announced on Tuesday and the chemistry winners on Wednesday. After the science prizes, the Nobel Prize for Literature will be presented as usual on Thursday, followed by the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday. Completion next Monday will be the savings award.
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