Nobel Medicine Prize for work on Temperature and Touch

Nobel Medicine Prize for work on Temperature and Touch

Part of: Prelims and GS – III – Sci and tech 

Context U.S. scientists David Julius and Ardem Patapoutian have won the Nobel Medicine Prize for discoveries on receptors for temperature and touch.

• The groundbreaking discoveries have allowed us to understand how heat, cold and mechanical force can initiate the nerve impulses that allow us to perceive and adapt to the world.
• The pair’s research is being used to develop treatments for a wide range of diseases and conditions, including chronic pain.

Do you know?

• Mr. Julius was recognised for his research using capsaicin — a compound from chili peppers that induces a burning sensation — to identify which nerve sensors in the skin respond to heat.