Nobel Prize week begins: Medicine, physics prizes expected to shine amid global crises

Stockholm: As the Nobel Prize announcements begin this week, there is hope that groundbreaking research in cancer treatment and cardiovascular drugs could be recognized. The prizes, awarded since 1901, honour those who have greatly benefited humanity, particularly during challenging times marked by wars in the Middle East and Ukraine, as well as a climate crisis.

The Nobel Prize in Medicine will be announced on Monday around 11:30 am (0930 GMT) in Stockholm.

One possible winner is American biologist Kevan Shokat, known for his work on blocking the KRAS gene, which is linked to many difficult cancers, including lung, colon, and pancreatic tumours. "These are now being tested for new treatments thanks to his discovery," said Annika Ostman, science reporter at Swedish public radio SR.

Research on cardiovascular diseases by geneticists Jonathan Cohen and Helen Hobbs may also be considered. Their findings on genes regulating lipid metabolism have led to new cholesterol-lowering drugs. Hobbs previously won the Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences in 2016, sharing it with Swedish scientist Svante Paabo, who received the Nobel Prize in 2022.

A group of neuroscientists studying the basal ganglia - an important brain region for motivation and behaviour - may also be in contention. This group includes Ann Graybiel from the U.S., Okihide Hikosaka from Japan, and Wolfram Schultz, originally from Germany. Other potential nominees are Davor Solter and Azim Surani for their work in epigenetics, which explores how cells manage gene activity without altering DNA. Last year's Nobel in Medicine went to Katalin Kariko and Drew Weissman for their pioneering work on messenger RNA technology, which led to the development of Covid-19 vaccines.

The Nobel Prize in Physics will be announced on Tuesday, with Swiss physicist Christoph Gerber being a strong candidate for his work on the atomic force microscope, essential for nanotechnology. "This is a microscope that gives 3D images on such an incredibly small scale that they sometimes are even atomic resolution," said SR science reporter Camilla Widebeck. David Deutsch and Peter Shor are also in the running for their contributions to quantum algorithms and computing.

For the Chemistry Prize, expected on Wednesday, many are hopeful for American-Jordanian scientist Omar Yaghi, known for creating Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs). These materials have various commercial applications, including toxin absorption and water capture from air. Karl Deisseroth, a U.S. psychiatrist and neurologist noted for his development of optogenetics, is also considered a potential laureate.

The Literature Prize will be revealed on Thursday, with speculation centering around Chinese author Can Xue, known for her avant-garde writing style. "I think it will be a woman from a language zone outside Europe," siad Bjorn Wiman, culture editor at Sweden's newspaper of record, Dagens Nyheter. Other possible contenders include Australian novelist Gerald Murnane, British author Salman Rushdie, and Kenyan writer Ngugi wa Thiong'o.

The week culminates on Friday with the announcement of the Peace Prize. Predictions this year are particularly challenging due to the various global crises. Possible nominees include the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), the International Court of Justice, and Afghan women's rights activist Mahbouba Seraj. The Campaign to Stop Killer Robots, addressing the risks of autonomous weapons, has also been mentioned.

Finally, the Nobel season will conclude with the Economics Prize on October 14, which could focus on child development economics, nature integration in the economy, or the impact of corruption on economic growth.

AFP