Great prize for life science

Business founders in Silicon Valley have just officially established one of the biggest annual awards for research on how to cure and prolong life.

The breakthrough award in this life science is co-sponsored by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, leader of Sergey Brin of Google and businessman Yuri Milner. On February 20, this award was awarded for the first time to 11 scientists. In this first year, each prize is worth $ 3 million - nearly three times the Nobel prize money, for research against cancer, diabetes, Parkinson's .

Three Silicon Valley top entrepreneurs decided to create
a great prize to promote life science - (Photo: Bloomberg)

'Great strides are expected to take place in the next 10-20 years so I think this is the right time to create an incentive for the best science talents - Mr. Milner said - Hope gender They will see the message that not only will the sports or entertainment careers have a great public recognition. '

A committee will select winners each year, but anyone can nominate candidates they think deserve the prize. Winners of each year will join the board to choose the next year's winner.

"The prize value is so great, I think it will have a big impact on life sciences," said Cornelia Bargmann, one of the winners of this year's award. The oldest scientist, David Botstein, 70, said: 'In the past 30 or 40 years there have been many rapid strides in life science but we have not heard anything about it.'