October 9, 2001
1 min read
Add Us On GoogleAdd SciAm100th Nobel Prize in Medicine or Physiology Announced
By Kristin Leutwyler
On supporting science journalism
If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.
The orderly and accurate division of cells is vital to the survival of all living things. This year's Nobel Prize in Medicine or Physiology goes to three biologists¿Leland H. Hartwell, Paul Nurse and R. Timothy Hunt¿who have discovered the key steps that lead up to division in eukaryotic cells. Understanding these steps, known as the cell cycle, may point to new possibilities for treating cancer. Indeed, defective control of the cell cycle contributes to chromosomal changes seen in cancer cells. And some of the genes that regulate the cell cycle can also function as oncogenes.
The 2001 Nobels for Medicine or Physiology, which were announced yesterday, mark the 100th anniversary of the famous prizes, first outlined in Alfred Bernhard Nobel's will from 1895. The winners will accept their medals on December 10th with the laureates from other fields at the Stockholm Concert Hall in Sweden.¿Kristin Leutwyler
It’s Time to Stand Up for Science
If you enjoyed this article, I’d like to ask for your support. Scientific American has served as an advocate for science and industry for 180 years, and right now may be the most critical moment in that two-century history.
I’ve been a Scientific American subscriber since I was 12 years old, and it helped shape the way I look at the world. SciAm always educates and delights me, and inspires a sense of awe for our vast, beautiful universe. I hope it does that for you, too.
If you subscribe to Scientific American, you help ensure that our coverage is centered on meaningful research and discovery; that we have the resources to report on the decisions that threaten labs across the U.S.; and that we support both budding and working scientists at a time when the value of science itself too often goes unrecognized.
In return, you get essential news, captivating podcasts, brilliant infographics, can't-miss newsletters, must-watch videos, challenging games, and the science world's best writing and reporting. You can even gift someone a subscription.
There has never been a more important time for us to stand up and show why science matters. I hope you’ll support us in that mission.