STOCKHOLM, Oct 7 — Molecules that regulate sleep and appetite or methods for editing genes are some of the research fields commentators say could be contenders for the Nobel Prize in Chemistry announced today.
The winner or winners of the award are scheduled to be named by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in Stockholm at 11.45am (0945 GMT/5.45pm Malaysian time).
Last year, the jury honoured Japan’s Susumu Kitagawa, UK-born Richard Robson and American-Jordanian Omar Yaghi for developing a method of designing molecular structures.
This year, data analytics firm Clarivate predicted that research into the hunger-regulating hormone glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) was a contender for the Nobel Prize in Medicine on Monday — but that award went to neuroscientists.
However GLP-1, which is used in weight-loss drugs such as Wegovy and Mounjaro, “could receive a chemistry prize”, said David Pendlebury, who heads research analysis at Clarivate.
While many scientists have made significant contributions in the field, three regularly mentioned for the Nobel are Canadian endocrinologist Daniel Drucker, Danish physician Jens Juul Holst and Yugoslav-born American chemist Svetlana Mojsov.
For chemistry, Clarivate this year also spotlighted the development of “self-assembled monolayers (SAMs)” — molecular-scale coatings that allow scientists and engineers to tailor a surface’s properties.
US chemists David Allara and Ralph Nuzzo along with Israel’s Jacob Sagiv would then be favourites. — AFP
