In response to the announcement of the 2020 Nobel prize in chemistry, Professor Sir Robert Lechler PMedSci, President of the Academy of Medical Sciences said:
“I am delighted by the news that Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer A Doudna have been awarded the 2020 Nobel prize in chemistry for the discovery of CRISPR.
"Genome editing is revolutionising biomedical research and the discovery of new medicines with huge potential for the future health of patients. Thanks to the work of these two world leading scientists we are starting to understand the role of genes in biology and disease and laying the foundations for developing targeted medicines for genetic conditions.
“Their work has not just impacted on scientific breakthroughs, it has prompted wider debate where scientists, patients and members of the public are coming together to understand how genome editing tools should be used for the benefit of all.”
You can view more about How genome editing can be used to treat disease in our recent FORUM report.