Two scientists won the Nobel Prize in chemistry for developing a way of editing genes(基因), which offers the promise of one day curing inherited(遗传的) diseases. Working on opposite sides of the Atlantic, French woman Emmanuelle Charpentier and American Jennifer A. Doudna came up with a method known as CRISPR-Cas9 that can be used to change the DNA of animals and plants.
It was the first time two women had won the chemistry Nobel together—adding to the small number of female winners in the sciences, where women have long received less recognition for their work than men. The scientists' work allows researchers to precisely edit specific genes to remove errors that lead to disease.
"There is great power in this genetic tool, which affects us all," said Claes Gustafsson, chair of the Nobel Committee for Chemistry, "It has not only made huge progress in basic science, but also led to advances in new medical treatments. "
Charpentier, 53, spoke of the shock of winning. "Strangely enough I was told a number of times that I'd win, but when it happens you're very surprised. And I wish that this will provide a positive message to young girls who would like to follow the path of science. "
Doudna told The Associated Press, "I actually just found out I'm in shock. And my greatest hope is that it's used for good, to uncover new mysteries in biology and to benefit humankind. "
The Broad Institute at Harvard and MIT have been in a long court fight over patents(专利) on CRISPR technology, and many other scientists did important work on it, but Doudna and Charpentier have been most consistently(一致地) honored with prizes for turning it into an easily usable tool.
