The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2017 is awarded to Jeffrey C. Hall, Michael Rosbash and Michael W. Young, for their discoveries of molecular mechanisms that govern circadian rhythm. The three laureates succeeded in shedding light on the cell’s internal clock and show how it worked. Their discoveries explain how plants, animals and humans optimize their physiology to be well prepared for the various phases of the day. Claes Gustafsson, Professor of Medical Chemistry, comments
“I think this is a very well-motivated and good prize. It is a very basic science discovery, but a fundamental discovery that has major implications.”