Nordic Life Science 1
ILLUSTRATION MATTIAS KARLÉN/THE NOBEL COMMITTEE F
OR PHYSIOLOGY OR MEDICINE ILLUSTRATION MATTIAS KARLÉN/THE NOBEL COMMITTEE FOR PHYSIOLOGY OR MEDICINE Patapoutian used cultured mechanosensitive cells to identify an ionchannel activated by mechanical force. After painstaking work, Piezo1 was identified. Based on its similarity to Piezo1, a second ion channel was found (Piezo2). David Julius used capsaicin from chili peppers to identify TRPV1, an ion channel activated by painful heat. Additional related ion channels were identified and we now understand how different temperatures can induce electrical signals in the nervous system.