First Nobel Prize laureates to be announced today

The awards will begin this morning with the Nobel Prize for physiology or medicine. American professor Daniel Klionsky and his Japanese colleagues Noboru Mizushima and Yoshinori Osumi are among the nominees. They discovered autophagy – the process when cells start eating their own parts during starvation.

British scientist Adrian Bird and Israeli professors Howard Cedar and Aharon Razin are also nominated for their discoveries concerning DNA methylation. American Dennis Slamon is nominated for his research leading to more effective cancer therapy, RIA Novosti reports.

Physics and chemistry will follow on Tuesday and Wednesday. The date when the Literature Prize will be awarded has not been announced yet.

Every Nobel Prize is 8 million Swedish kronor or 926 thousand euro.