French, US biochemists win top Spanish prize for science

Biochemists Emmanuelle Charpentier from France and Jennifer Doudna from the United States have been awarded Spain's Princess of Asturias scientific research award for their work in biotechnology.

The award foundation said in a statement Thursday that the "revolutionary" work of Charpentier and Doudna in genome-editing technology held great promise for gene therapy and in the treatment of diseases such as cancer, cystic fibrosis and Severe Combined Immune Deficiency Syndrome—commonly called the "boy in the bubble" disease—among others.

Charpentier holds professorships in Hannover, Germany, and Umea, Sweden. Doudna heads the Doudna Lab in Berkeley, California.

This 50,000-euro ($54,300) award is one of eight Asturias prizes handed out yearly by a foundation named for Crown Princess Leonor. Other categories include the arts, sport and scientific research.