American scientists Gary Ruvkun (l) and Victor Ambros discovered microRNA in the 1980s|@NobelPrize; @UMassChan|X
Two American scientists, Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun, received the Nobel Prize for medicine for discovering microRNA, a tiny molecule that regulates gene expression.
Their research transformed our understanding of gene control, opening the door to treatments for cancer, heart disease, and dementia.
What does microRNA do?
MicroRNA molecules help regulate gene activity and explain how cells with the same DNA—like nerve and muscle cells—can develop differently.
Overlooked but proven right
In the 1980s, the scientific community initially ignored Ambros and Ruvkun’s work, which was based on tiny roundworms. However, by 2000, their research proved that humans had over 1,000 microRNA-related genes, showing how crucial these molecules are.
Ambros first found microRNA in roundworms, and Ruvkun later discovered it in humans.
Today, microRNA is recognized as essential for how life develops and functions. Ambros is now a professor at the University of Massachusetts, while Ruvkun teaches at Harvard.