Nobel Prize for Neanderthal genome

Nobel Prize for Neanderthal genome
 

For unravelling the DNA of Neanderthals and other humanoids, Swedish researcher Svante Pääbo has been awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. Pääbo is considered the father of ‘palaeogenetics’. He researches the genetic material of extinct species and he mapped the genome of Neanderthal man, a human species that lived alongside modern humans for a while.

Thanks to Pääbo, we know, among other things, that Neanderthal and modern humans had offspring together. He also used DNA research to discover another extinct human species, Denisova man, who lived at high altitude in Tibet.

^{(Image: Nobel Prize Organisation)}

Pääbo’s father, Sune Karl Bergström, was also a Nobel laureate. He was awarded the Prize 40 years ago with two others for his research on hormone-like substances (prostaglandins).

There was speculation before the Award announcement that the founders of the corona vaccine might well get the Nobel Prize. The vaccine itself was developed at lightning speed thanks to the discoverers of a revolutionary mRNA technique. However, the Committee decided otherwise and did not comment on questions from the press.

•  More information on the Nobel Prize website.