Nobel Prize: Emmanuelle Charpentier, Jennifer Doudna

Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer Doudna have been jointly awarded the 2020 Nobel Prize in chemistry for their discovery and development of the CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing method.

"There is enormous power in this genetic tool, which affects us all. It has not only revolutionized basic science, but also resulted in innovative crops and will lead to ground-breaking new medical treatments," said Nobel Committee for Chemistry Chair Claes Gustafsson in a statement.

Charpentier is the director of the Max Planck Unit for the Science of Pathogens in Berlin. She holds a PhD from the Institute Pasteur in France.

Doudna is a professor at the University of California, Berkeley, and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator. She holds a PhD from Harvard Medical School.

The two Nobel laureates will equally share the 10 million Swedish kronor ($1.12 million) award.