The prize was shared by British scientist Peter Ratcliffe and two Americans, William Kaelin and Gregg Semenza. His work "identified the molecular machinery that regulates the activity of genes in response to changes in oxygen levels, one of the most essential processes of adapting life". That is, they discovered how cells “feel” and adapt to changes in oxygen availability in the body and identified the components that regulate how genes respond to oxygen levels. The finding concerns the adaptations made by our body at different times in our day to day or in our life - from the physical exercises we do, to the possibility of being at high altitudes and even our development in the womb. In addition, the work may also result in new treatments for anemia and even cancer.

Photo: Albert and Mary Lasker Foundation. / BBC News Brasil
Source: BBC News Brasil, 2019