2023 Nobel prize awarded to scientists behind Covid vaccines

International News
By Mennatullah Hamzawy

The 2023 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine has been awarded to biochemist Katalin Karikó and immunologist Drew Weissman for discoveries that set the foundation for mRNA vaccines against COVID-19, as the Noble Prize x-former twitter account announced.

Rapid vaccines were developed by Pfizer and Moderna during the COVID pandemic. This actually comes courtesy to the culmination of decades of work by scientists including Karikó and Weissman.

The technology to create mRNA outside of cells was developed in the 1980s but there were some issues that prevented using it.

Hungarian American scientist Katalin Kariko and her American colleague, Drew Weissman, began working on mRNA technology in the early 1990s at the University of Pennsylvania.

Their breakthrough was crucial in developing the Moderna and Pfizer coronavirus vaccines, which have proved among the most effective in tackling COVID-19.

This year’s Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine recognises the key role that Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman played in this scenario with their fundamental research. While, Nobel Prizes in Physics and Chemistry will be announced during this week.

 

Leave a comment