Nobel Prize in Medicine goes to study on how we sense temperature

5 Oct 2021

Image depicting Two scientists win Nobel Prize in Medicine for finding out how we sense temperature

Nobel Prize in Medicine goes to study on how we sense temperature

Recommended for Medicine

Two scientists from the US, David Julius and Ardem Patapoutian, have won the 2021 Nobel Prize in Medicine or Physiology. They won for their work on how we sense touch and temperature.

The scientists discovered how our bodies convert physical sensations into electrical messages in the nervous system.

The research that won the Nobel Prize in Medicine or Physiology

We use heat, cold and touch to experience the world and survive. But how our bodies actually do it has been a mystery for years.

Prof David Julius studied the burning pain we feel from eating a hot chilli pepper. Chillies’ heat comes from a chemical called capsaicin. Prof Julius discovered the specific type of receptor that responded to capsaicin. It is called TRPV1. Later, tests also showed the receptor was responding to heat and it kicked in at “painful” temperatures.

What is a receptor?

A receptor is a part of our cells. It helps cells detect the world around them

Prof Patapoutian discovered a different type of receptor that became active in response to touch. They named it PIEZ02. For example, feeling sand beneath your feet when you walk. The duo also discovered the receptor for sensing cold.

Their research could help us find new ways of treating pain. For example, the heat receptor could be used to help manage pain.

The Nobel Prize in Medicine or Physiology

The two scientists will share the Nobel prize award of 10 million Swedish kronor (about US$1.1 million). They will receive the award in December in Stockholm, Sweden.

Today, in the evening, they will announce the winner of the Nobel Prize in Physics.