James Rothman, Randy Schekman and Thomas Sudhof Win 2013 Nobel Prize for Medicine [Videos]

James Rothman and Randy Schekman, two American scientists and Thomas Sudhof, a researcher from Germany have together won the 2013 Nobel Prize for medicine or physiology for their outstanding work on mechanisms behind vesicle traffic regulation in cells.

Their work changed the way we looked at the functioning of eukaryotic cells.

Each cell is like a tiny factory that produces many molecules. These molecules are transported to other parts within the cell and sometimes even outside the cells in small packages called vesicles. The work that won the Nobel Prize was on decoding the system that makes it possible for these cargoes to reach their destination at the right time.

The cell, thus, has a great traffic control system to regulate the delivery of cargo. The genes that are associated with this system were discovered by Randy Schekman while the protein mechanism was found by James Rothman. Thomas Südhof's work showed how these vesicles released the required molecules at the right time.

Rothman is currently affiliated with Yale University while Schekman is from University of California at Berkeley and Südhof from Stanford University

"My first reaction was, "Oh, my god!" said Schekman. "That was also my second reaction." He added that he was given the good news at 1:30 am, according to a press release from University of University of California, Berkeley.

"Through their discoveries, Rothman, Schekman and Südhof have revealed the exquisitely precise control system for the transport and delivery of cellular cargo. Disturbances in this system have deleterious effects and contribute to conditions such as neurological diseases, diabetes, and immunological disorders," said The Nobel Assembly at Karolinska Institutet in a press release.

Check out video of the 2013 Nobel Prize for Medicine/ Physiology.