The significance of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for Umeå University

Vice-Chancellor on the Nobel Prize

Hans Adolfsson speaks about the 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry being awarded to Emmanuelle Charpentier for her discovery of genetic scissors, which took place at her lab at Umeå University. (Click "cc" for English subtitles.)

During a dark year that has been defined by a global pandemic, it was a glorious ray of light for Umeå University when the 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer A. Doudna for their discovery of the CRISPR-Cas9 genetic scissors. Emmanuelle Charpentier was active at Umeå University when she made her ground-breaking finding.

"That a Nobel Prize winning discovery could be made at Umeå University is, of course, due to many different factors. But I’m convinced, and Emmanuelle agrees, that the openness and spirit that prevails at the University were key factors. We are a university with all scientific disciplines present and on one cohesive campus, and it’s easy for researchers to collaborate across boundaries. We are team players and take pleasure from each other’s successes," says Hans Adolfsson.

We will become more visible in the world and we will continue to recruit the best researchers, lecturers and students.

CRISPR-Cas9 is called the sharpest tool in genetic engineering and has revolutionized research in many different fields and the application of its technology continues to develop. Umeå University also conducts research that has been given completely new conditions with this tool. The fact that the discovery has been selected as a Nobel Prize winner will provide additional benefits for Umeå University, says Hans Adolfsson.

"We will become more visible in the world and we will continue to recruit the best researchers, lecturers and students. Welcome to Umeå," he says.