Japanese biologist wins Nobel Prize in medicine

Sweden’s Karolinska Institute awarded its first Nobel Prize of the year today, honoring Japanese biologist Yoshinori Ohsumi for his research on autophagy, the process cells use to break down and recycle damaged material. Scientists believe interruption in the autophagy process is linked to diseases such as Parkinson’s, diabetes, and cancer. Ohsumi, a 71-year-old professor at the Tokyo Institute of Technology, did the bulk of his research in the 1990s. Other researchers are now using his findings to help develop drugs to target autophagy. Ohsumi said he once dreamed of winning the Nobel Prize in medicine but had long ago given it up as a possibility. “I don’t feel comfortable competing with many people, and instead I find it more enjoyable doing something nobody else is doing,” he told reporters after learning about the award. “In a way, that’s what science is all about, and the joy of finding something inspires me.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.