Nobel prizes announced

Almost 50 years after their theories were first formulated, François Englert and Peter Higgs have been awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics. The prize rewards their research into subatomic matter, which in 1964 led both to independently propose the existence of a special, then-undiscovered type of particle – now commonly known as the Higgs boson. Without it, the Standard Model could not adequately explain how particles acquire mass, making the physicists’ hypotheses hugely important. A five-decade search for the elusive particle followed – brought to an end earlier this year when researchers at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN confirmed its discovery.

Though jointly awarded the prize, Higgs and Englert conducted their research separately, publishing their work within a few months of each other. A third group of scientists – Tom Kibble, Gerald Guralnik and Dick Hagan – also reached the same conclusions, at around the same time. However, each Nobel Prize can only be split between a maximum of three people, and since Kibble, Guralnik and Hagan were last to publish their findings, the Nobel committee did not include them in the award. Also unnamed is Englert’s research partner Robert Brout, as Nobel nominations cannot be made posthumously (Brout died in 2011).

Earlier in the week, the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine was awarded to James Rothman, Randy Schekman and Thomas Südhof, for “[solving] the mystery of how the cell organises its transport system.” Although biologists have long understood that cells move molecules around using structures called vesicles, the exact method by which vesicles get the right molecules to the right places at the right times was unknown. Schekman’s research identified the specific genes responsible for regulating the movement of vesicles; Rothman explained how vesicles connect with their destinations; and Südhof clarified how the brain sends and receives signals that coordinate this process. Between them, their work provides a fuller understanding of how this important biological mechanism functions.

Next week we’ll look at the remaining science prizes, with awards in Chemistry and Economic Sciences due to be announced in the next few days.