The award of the Nobel Prize in Medicine and Physiology to Swedish paleontological genomics pioneer Svanta Papau on Monday was the culmination of his role in determining the complete sequencing of the Neanderthal genome and in establishing the discipline that searches for DNA belonging to fossils. antiquity, to know the features of human genes in antiquity.
The panel that selects the winners felt that Svante Papu’s discoveries “laid the groundwork for studying what makes humans unique by showing the genetic differences that distinguish all living humans from extinct humans.”
By sequencing a bone found in Siberia in 2008, Babu also made it possible to discover another previously unknown hominid, Denisov’s man, who lived in Asia and what is now Russia.
And in 2009, it was found that there was a 2% gene transfer between now-extinct hominids such as Neanderthals and Homo sapiens.
Svante Papu, 67, who has lived in Germany for decades and works at the prestigious Max Planck Institute, likened his research to “finding traces in human genes.”
This ancient gene transfer to modern humans has had tangible physiological consequences today, for example in how our immune systems respond to disease.
At a press conference in Leipzig, eastern Germany, the researcher said that thanks to paleobiology, “we now have the ability to go back in time and trace genetic history and genetic change.”
A recent study by Papo found that Covid-19 patients who carry some of the Neanderthal DNA, especially in Europe and South Asia, inherited from a crossover with the human genome that occurred about 60,000 years ago, are more at risk of serious complications if they become infected. corona virus.
In its decision, the Nobel Committee considered that “the genetic differences between Homo sapiens and our closest extinct ancestors were unknown until they were revealed through the work of Papo.”
The Swedish researcher managed to overcome the problem of DNA deteriorating over time, as few traces of this millennium-old DNA survived, and it was heavily contaminated by bacteria or modern humans. traces.
In an interview with the Nobel Foundation, the scientist said that he was “taking his last sip of tea” when he received a call from Stockholm. “I really didn’t think that (my findings) would lead me to a Nobel Prize,” he added.
He told reporters that his research was considered “kind of a curiosity” for a long time before it gained legitimacy.
Neanderthals coexisted with modern humans in Europe for a period before they completely died out around 30,000 to 40,000 years ago, and were replaced by Homo sapiens of African origin.
“Genetic changes could help understand this evolution and answer the ‘biggest question’ in human history,” Babu added.
According to the researcher, “Why did man become a modern man and not another type of man, giving birth to millions and billions of people and large societies?”
For its part, the Max Planck Institute expressed its joy at receiving the award and praised the work, which “revolutionized our understanding of the development of modern man throughout history.”
Born in Stockholm, Papo became a member of the “noble dynasty” after the victory. His father, Sonne Bergström (1916–2004), was awarded the 1982 Nobel Prize in Medicine for research related to hormones.
Bergerström is the biological father of Svante, who publicly explained in 2014 that he was born from an extramarital affair, so his name is different from his father’s.
The award is accompanied by a financial reward of ten million Swedish kronor (about 920,000 euros). The achievement of one scientist winning the Nobel Prize in Science is becoming more and more rare, and the last time one person received the Nobel Prize in Medicine was in 2016.
The Nobel season continues in Stockholm on Tuesday, with the announcement of the Nobel Prize in Physics and then in Chemistry on Wednesday, ahead of the highly anticipated Literary Prize and Peace Friday, the only prize announced in Oslo.
And last year’s Nobel Prize in Medicine was awarded to Americans Erdem Pathabutyan and David Julius for discovering how our nervous system transmits heat and touch.
