Three scientists share 2015 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced Wednesday.
The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2015 was awarded jointly to Tomas Lindahl, Paul Modrich and Aziz Sancar "for mechanistic studies of DNA repair," ie. for having mapped, at a molecular level, how cells repair damaged DNA and safeguard the genetic information.
"Their work has provided fundamental knowledge of how a living cell functions and is, for instance, used for the development of new cancer treatments," the statement said.
In a telephone interview after the announcement, Lindahl said he was "surprised" and "proud to be selected" for the prize this year. Recalling why choosing this field of research, Lindahl said it is "important to have DNA repair, as damages in cells are unavoidable."
"As we understand the mechanism better," it provides "better hope" for cancer treatments, said Lindahl, talking on potential applications of his discovery.
