Nobel Prizes

Nobel Prizes in Medicine

Nobel-winning animal research leads to huge breakthroughs in science and medicine.

Nobel-winning animal research happens practically every year. In fact, of the 224 award recipients in the Physiology or Medicine category, 188 used animal models in their research. For instance, a German scientist won the first prize in 1901 for developing the diphtheria vaccine through research with horses. Afterwards, each year Nobel Prizes were awarded for major discoveries, most of the time for research involving animals. For example, this year’s winners David Julius and Ardem Patapoutian (illustrated below) won for their work with mice. Their groundbreaking research led to the discoveries of receptors for temperature and touch. Take a look at the press release from the Nobel Assembly to learn more.

Mice were key to the breakthroughs of the 2021 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine laureates, University of California at San Francisco professor David Julius and Scripps Research molecular biologist Ardem Patapoutian. (Image credit: Ill. Niklas Elmehed © Nobel Prize Outreach)