From the blind fly to human diseases: the history of the discovery and study of thermo- and mechanoreceptors

Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2021

Abstract

The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2021 was awarded to two scientists from the United States — David Julius from the University of California, San Francisco and Ardem Patapoutian from the Scripps Research Institute in San Diego “for their discoveries of receptors for temperature and touch”. A press release from the Nobel Committee said that "these breakthrough discoveries launched intense research activities leading to a rapid increase in our understanding of how our nervous system senses heat, cold, and mechanical stimuli. The laureates identified critical missing links in our understanding of the complex interplay between our senses and the environment”.