Stem cell research earns scientists Nobel Medicine prize

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from yahoo

Stem cell research earns scientists Nobel Medicine prize

by Pia Ohlin
1 hour, 45 minutes ago



STOCKHOLM (AFP) - Mario Capecchi and Oliver Smithies of the United States and Martin Evans of Britain won the Nobel Medicine Prize Monday for their work in creating "knockout mice," the 21st-century testbed for biomedical research.


The trio, who worked independently of one another, were honoured for discovering how to genetically manipulate mouse embryonic stem cells, leading to lab rodents that replicate human disease, the Nobel jury said.

Their "ground-breaking discoveries concerning embryonic stem cells and DNA recombination in mammals... led to the creation of an immensely powerful technology," the committee said.

The discovery is technically called gene targeting but is commonly known as gene "knockout."