Honoring the 2024 Nobel Laureates with free access to their research
7 October 2024
By Alison Bert, DMA
© Nobel Prize Outreach. Photo: Clément Morin
Read the Nobel Prize winners’ most cited research published by Elsevier
Editor’s note: This article will be continually updated with information about the newly announced Nobel Prize winners and access to their research.
In the coming days, the 2024 Nobel Laureates are being recognized for their outstanding contributions to science. Winning the Nobel Prize represents decades of probing research that has had a profound impact on humanity. These groundbreaking discoveries reinforce the role of research as a driver of progress.
Over the years, the Laureates have not only expanded the frontiers of knowledge — they have set a high standard for research integrity that enables future generations to build on their research with confidence. Their results are not only innovative and impactful but also reproducible and verifiable. Their meticulous attention to detail and adherence to rigorous scientific methods have ensured that their findings are robust and reliable, laying a solid foundation for further exploration and discovery. Their work serves as a beacon for aspiring researchers, emphasizing the importance of ethical conduct and integrity in scientific inquiry.
The Laureates are among the thousands of researchers worldwide who collaborate across borders and disciplines, sharing their diverse perspectives to solve complex problems. By upholding the principles of transparency and accountability in their research, they have demonstrated a commitment to fostering a research ecosystem that can be trusted.
The prize also serves as a reminder of the importance of peer-reviewed research that withstands scrutiny. At Elsevier, we’re proud to highlight that most of the Nobel Laureates in science and economics have published in our journals and books — 221 out of 222 since the year 2000, according to a Scopus analysis — and some have also served as editors, editorial board members or reviewers.
The rigor and integrity they bring to their work can help reinforce the confidence in research that is so important to societal progress.
To honor this year’s Nobel Laureates and the community that made their breakthroughs possible, we are bringing together a selection of their most cited papers published with Elsevier. We are confident that their work will, in turn, empower today’s scientists to make further discoveries.
Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
The 2024 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine opens in new tab/window was awarded jointly to Victor Ambros opens in new tab/window of UMass Chan Medical School and Gary Ruvkun opens in new tab/window of Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital “for the discovery of microRNA and its role in post-transcriptional gene regulation.”
Drs Ambros and Ruvkun have published extensively with Cell Press opens in new tab/window. In fact, their prize-winning research was published in Cell opens in new tab/window in 1993. Editor-In-Chief Dr John Pham commented on its far-reaching impact:
Dr Salvatore Fabbiano, Editor-in-Chief of Trends in Endocrinology and Metabolism opens in new tab/window, said their seminal work “has expanded our understanding of the complex network of transcriptional regulation and cross-talk communication involved in pathophysiological conditions spanning from diabetes to cancer.”
Dr Duc Le, Editor-in-chief of Med opens in new tab/window, added:
Their research has significantly advanced our understanding of cellular homeostasis, shed light on the implications of microRNA dysregulation in diseases, and offered new insights for therapeutic development. This prestigious recognition is a testament to their exceptional contributions to biomedical science.
Dr Ruvkun has also published in Elsevier’s Developmental Biology opens in new tab/window and served as an editor and board member.
Selected research by Physiology or Medicine Laureates
*Prize-winning articles
Victor Ambros
Heterochronic genes and the temporal control of C. elegans development opens in new tab/window, Trends in Genetics (April 1994)
MicroRNAs and Other Tiny Endogenous RNAs in C. elegans opens in new tab/window, Current Biology (May 2003)
The Decapping Scavenger Enzyme DCS-1 Controls MicroRNA Levels in Caenorhabditis elegans opens in new tab/window, Molecular Cell (April 2013)
miR-14 Regulates Autophagy during Developmental Cell Death by Targeting ip3-kinase 2 opens in new tab/window, Molecular Cell (Nov 2014)
Ambros and Ruvkun
Gary Ruvkun
Computational and Experimental Identification of C. elegans microRNAs opens in new tab/window, Molecular Cell (May 2003)
Detection of broadly expressed neuronal genes in C. elegans opens in new tab/window, Developmental Biology (Feb 2007)
A Whole-Genome RNAi Screen for C. elegans miRNA Pathway Genes opens in new tab/window, Current Biology (Dec 2007)
Tiny RNA: Where do we come from? What are we? Where are we going? opens in new tab/window Trends in Plant Science (July 2008)
C. elegans Major Fats Are Stored in Vesicles Distinct from Lysosome-Related Organelles opens in new tab/window, Cell Metabolism (Nov 2009)
Regulation of the C. elegans molt by pqn-47 opens in new tab/window, Developmental Biology (Dec 2011)
Pseudomonas aeruginosa Disrupts Caenorhabditis elegans Iron Homeostasis, Causing a Hypoxic Response and Death opens in new tab/window, Cell Host & Microbe (April 2013)
Nobel Prize in Physics
The 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics opens in new tab/window has been jointly awarded to John J Hopfield opens in new tab/window of Princeton University and Geoffrey E Hinton opens in new tab/window of the University of Toronto “for foundational discoveries and inventions that enable machine learning with artificial neural networks.”
Using tools from physics — and inspired by the workings of the brain — they developed methods that formed the foundation of today’s machine learning. Their research spans the realms of physics, biophysics and computer science, and they published in a variety Elsevier journals and books.
As Dr Vasanthi Jayaraman, Editor-in-Chief of Biophysical Journal opens in new tab/window, published by Cell Press on behalf of the Biophysical Society, commented:
Selected research by Physics Laureates
John J Hopfield
On electron transfer opens in new tab/window, Biophysical Journal (Oct 1976)
Hemoglobin-carbon monoxide binding rate. Low temperature magneto-optical detection of spin-tunneling opens in new tab/window, Biophysical Journal (August 1981)
Separating objects and ‘neural’ computation | Séparation des objets et calcul neuronal opens in new tab/window, Comptes Rendus Biologies (Feb 2003)
Geoffrey E Hinton
Connectionist learning procedures opens in new tab/window, Artificial Intelligence (Sept 1989)
A time-delay neural network architecture for isolated word recognition opens in new tab/window, Neural Networks (1990)
Mapping part-whole hierarchies into connectionist networks opens in new tab/window, Artificial Intelligence (Nov 1990)
Varieties of Helmholtz Machine opens in new tab/window, Neural Networks (Nov 1996)
Learning multiple layers of representation opens in new tab/window, Trends in Cognitive Science (Oct 2007)
Learning symmetry groups with hidden units: Beyond the perceptron opens in new tab/window, Physica D: Nonlinear Phenomena (1986)
Nobel Prize in Chemistry
The 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry opens in new tab/window has been awarded to David Baker opens in new tab/window of the University of Washington, Seattle “for computational protein design” and the other half jointly to Demis Hassabis opens in new tab/window and John M Jumper opens in new tab/window of Google DeepMind, London “for protein structure prediction.”
They have published their research in various Elsevier journals, including the Journal of Molecular Biology opens in new tab/window and various Cell Press titles, including Cell opens in new tab/window, Neuron opens in new tab/window and Structure opens in new tab/window. And once again, their research crossed disciplines.
Prof Michael F Summers opens in new tab/window, Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Molecular Biology, explained the massive impact of Baker’s research:
Dr Vasanthi Jayaraman, Editor-in-Chief of Biophysical Journal opens in new tab/window, published by Cell Press on behalf of the Biophysical Society, said: “This has been a great week recognizing and celebrating discoveries in Biophysics.”
In congratulating the Laureates on behalf of her journal colleagues, she wrote:
Selected research by Chemistry Laureates
David Baker
Computational Design of Cyclic Peptide Inhibitors of a Bacterial Membrane Lipoprotein Peptidase opens in new tab/window, ACS Chemical Biology (May 2024)
A General Computational Approach for Repeat Protein Design opens in new tab/window, Journal of Molecular Biology (Jan 2015)
High-Resolution Comparative Modeling with RosettaCM opens in new tab/window, Structure (Oct 2013)
Alternate States of Proteins Revealed by Detailed Energy Landscape Mapping opens in new tab/window, Journal of Molecular Biology (Jan 2011)
Demis Hassabis
Reinforcement Learning, Fast and Slow opens in new tab/window, Trends in Cognitive Sciences (May 2019)
Neuroscience-Inspired Artificial Intelligence opens in new tab/window, Neuron (July 2017)
John M Jumper
Upside: Protein Folding in CPU-Hours with Applications to Force-Unfolding of Membrane Proteins opens in new tab/window, Biophysical Journal (Feb 2020)
On the Interpretation of Force-Induced Unfolding Studies of Membrane Proteins Using Fast Simulations opens in new tab/window, Biophysical Journal (Oct 2019)
A Membrane Burial Potential with H-Bonds and Applications to Curved Membranes and Fast Simulations opens in new tab/window, Biophysical Journal (Nov 2018)
Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences
The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences opens in new tab/window in Memory of Alfred Nobel 2024 was awarded jointly to Daron Acemoglu opens in new tab/window of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Simon Johnson opens in new tab/window of MIT and James A Robinson opens in new tab/window of the University of Chicago “for studies of how institutions are formed and affect prosperity.”
The Laureates have published in various Elsevier titles. Dr Nathanial Hendren opens in new tab/window, lead co-editor of the Journal of Public Economics opens in new tab/window and Professor of Economics at MIT, commented:
Selected research by Economics Laureates
Daron Acemoglu
Optimal adaptive testing for epidemic control: Combining molecular and serology tests opens in new tab/window, Automatica (February 2024)
Mirage on the horizon: Geoengineering and carbon taxation without commitment opens in new tab/window, Journal of Public Economics (March 2023)
The rise of age-friendly jobs opens in new tab/window, The Journal of the Economics of Ageing (October 2022)
The political agenda effect and state centralization opens in new tab/window, Journal of Comparative Economics (December 2020)
Innovation by entrants and incumbents opens in new tab/window, Journal of Economic Theory (May 2015)
Introduction to economic growth opens in new tab/window, Journal of Economic Theory (March 2012)
Markets versus governments opens in new tab/window, Journal of Monetary Economics (January 2008)
Politics and economics in weak and strong states opens in new tab/window, Journal of Monetary Economics (October 2005)
Daron Acemoglu and Simon Johnson
The value of connections in turbulent times: Evidence from the United States opens in new tab/window, Journal of Financial Economics (August 2016)
Simon Johnson
Design and implementation of the price cap on Russian oil exports opens in new tab/window, Journal of Comparative Economics (December 2023)
Is newer better? Penn World Table Revisions and their impact on growth estimates opens in new tab/window, Journal of Monetary Economics (March 2013)
Propping and tunneling opens in new tab/window, Journal of Comparative Economics opens in new tab/window (December 2003)
Dodging the grabbing hand: the determinants of unofficial activity in 69 countries opens in new tab/window, Journal of Public Economics (June 2000)
Why do firms hide? Bribes and unofficial activity after communism opens in new tab/window, Journal of Public Economics (June 2000)
James A Robinson with Daron Acemoglu and Simon Johnson
Chapter 6 Institutions as a Fundamental Cause of Long-Run Growth opens in new tab/window, Handbook of Economic Growth (2005)
Contributors
The following Elsevier colleagues contributed to this story: Christopher Tancock, Aline Schneider, Alex Walker, Lauren Manges, Jennie Giles, Manon Burger, Louise Glenn, Adriian Klinkenberg, Danie Descoteaux, Rob van Daalen, Bethan Keall, Jason Mitchell, Kay Tancock, Anburaj Thangaraj, Sethuraman Vairavan and Lipsa Panda.