Nordic Life Science 1
The Laureates shared the Prize for their discover
ies of how cells sense and adapt to oxygen availability. They have described the molecular machinery that regulates the activity of genes in response to varying levels of oxygen. Sir Peter Ratcliffe defined a system involved in inflammation, metabolism, cancer, and more. He says it is so satisfying that he and his colleagues described oxygen sensing that has been around since animals evolved. William Kaelin feels he has been fortunate in his scientific career. His contributions have had a great impact, not least within cancer treatment, and he emphasizes the importance of supporting basic science. Since nothing is more basic to life than oxygen, the Nobel Laureate Gregg Semenza found it logical to want to unravel some of the complexities of how cells monitor and regulate oxygen levels. NORDICLIFESCIENCE.ORG 45 © NOBEL MEDIA AB ILLUSTRATION NIKLAS ELMEHED