Barre-Sinoussi and Montagnier will share the 10 million kronor (US$1.4 million) prize with German scientist Harald zur Hausen, who discovered the human papilloma viruses that cause cervical cancer.

In its citation, the Nobel Assembly said Barre-Sinoussi and Montagnier's discovery was one prerequisite for the current understanding of the biology of AIDS and its antiretroviral treatment. The pair's work in the early 1980s made it possible to clone the HIV-1 genome.

"This has allowed identification of important details in its replication cycle and how the virus interacts with its host," the citation said. "Furthermore, it led to development of methods to diagnose infected patients and to screen blood."

Alfred Nobel, the Swede who invented dynamite, established the prizes in his will in the categories of medicine, physics, chemistry, literature and peace.

Last update: 01-29-2009 14:46