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US scientists score Nobel Prize for groundbreaking chilli sensory discovery
US researchers David Julius and Ardem Patapoutian score the top prize for their “profound discovery” on receptors and touch.
The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine has been awarded for the discovery of receptors for temperature and touch.
The two winners, US scientists David Julius and Ardem Patapoutian were announced on Monday by the secretary-general of the Nobel committee.
Julius, born on November 4, 1955 is in affiliation with the University of California, San Francisco while Beirut-born researcher Patapoutian is an affiliate of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute in California.
The researches used chilli to identify the nerve sensors responsible for the skin responding to heat while other pressure-sensitive sensors were found that react to mechanical stimulation.
Such discoveries launched intense research into how heat, cold, and mechanical stimuli is sensed by the human nervous system.
Additionally, it’s helped enhance scientific understanding into the complex relationship between human senses and the environment.
Decades in the making
David Julius has been working on this research alongside his co-workers since the late 1990s.
Since then, he’s been trying to understand how the chemical compound capsaicin causes the burning sensation felt when coming into contact with chili peppers.
As part of the research, Julius and his fellow co-workers came up with a library of DNA fragments which matched to genes that are expressed in the sensory neurons.
A long, laborious search followed until a single gene that made cells capsaicin-sensitive was identified.
Julius and Patapoutian then underwent further research, contributing to the groundbreaking discoveries they’ve made today.
A discovery “crucial for survival”.
The Nobel committee says it’s a “profound discovery” that is “crucial for our survival”.
Their research is helping other researchers develop treatments for a wide range of disease conditions, including chronic pain.
The scientists were awarded a gold medal and more than 10 million Swedish kronor.
It’s the first Nobel prize this year, with more to come over the next week.
Written by Rebecca Borg