French researcher Emmanuelle Charpentier Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2020

It is “an immense source of pride for all our research and for French chemistry”, “a recognition for the excellence of research in France and a considerable advance for biomedicine and knowledge of the genome”. These were the words with which the Minister for Research and the Minister for Health welcomed this award, which is the crowning achievement of the work on “molecular scissors”. For the French Prime Minister, this Nobel Prize salutes not only “the revolutionary work carried out by Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer Doudna”, but also “French research, whose excellence and international attractiveness are once again acknowledged”.

A fundamental advance, a tremendous hope

The invention in 2012 of the “CRISPR-Cas9 genetic scissors” technique by the two researchers is a fundamental breakthrough in the field of genetic engineering. The Ministry of Research emphasises that this system is similar to “real molecular scissors enabling DNA to be cut and modified at specific points in the genome”. It makes it possible “to inactivate a gene, control its expression or modify it, thus opening up new avenues for understanding molecular mechanisms or developing new therapeutic approaches”. It is in this respect that CRISPR-Cas9 constitutes “a tremendous hope in the development of treatments for hereditary pathologies” and “a promising technique for the development of new immunotherapies against cancer”.

French researcher, international career

After a master's degree at Sorbonne University and then a doctorate and post-doctoral training at the Pasteur Institute, Emmanuelle Charpentier, a microbiologist, geneticist and biochemist, represents an “example of the excellence of French-style training”. In addition to this French training, the researcher followed an international career in American institutions before returning to Europe (Sweden and Germany). She is now a professor at the Max Planck Institute for Pathogen Science in Berlin, which she created and directs. 
 

A female duo, an example for girls

As many commentators point out, this is the first time that a “female duo” has won a scientific Nobel Prize. In a statement to Agence France Presse (AFP), the new French laureate expressed the fact that “women scientists can also have an impact on the research they conduct”, hoping to send a “very strong message to young girls for scientific careers” thanks to her award.