Abstract: On October 2, 2023 by Beijing Time, the Karolinska Institute of Sweden in Stockholm announced that Hungarian American scientist Katalin Karikó and American scientist Drew Weissman were awarded the 2023 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, in recognition of their discovery of nucleoside base modifications, which in turn contributed to the development of an effective vaccine against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS CoV-2). Here we will introduce the two scientists’ backgrounds, major scientific contributions and the significance of the discoveries.

Key words: the 2023 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, mRNA vaccine, base modification, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS CoV-2)