Molecular biology has shown that both viruses and living organisms consist of and are controlled by DNA, RNA and proteins.

On March 11 this year, the World Health Organization announced that the spread of the coronavirus should be classified as a pandemic, that is "an infectious disease that spreads to large parts of the world and affects a large proportion of the population of each country". Today, nobody knows how many will die in this pandemic, or when, or if, we can have a vaccine against the disease.

The immune system is the body’s defence mechanism against attacks from viruses and bacteria. A number of Nobel Laureates have researched the immune system and contributed to the development of vaccines.

Viruses are incredibly small and cannot be seen in normal microscopes.

Through their lives and work, failures, and successes – get to know the individuals who have been awarded the Nobel Prize.

On Earth Day, 22 April 2020, Greta Thunberg and Johan Rockström will meet for a digital conversation about courage, solidarity and opportunities in times of crisis streamed from the Nobel Prize Museum in Stockholm. The call will be broadcast live for a global audience. This year marks 50 years since Earth Day was first organised to highlight major environmental challenges in the world.

Just in time for Nobel Week in December 2020, Nobel Prize Museum is opening a new exhibition about the Nobel Banquet and the important role that shared meals play in bringing people together and fostering conversation. Nobel Day is celebrated by people everywhere these days, from preschools to elderly care facilities, and of course in countless living rooms where people tune in to watch the broadcast from their sofas at home. All of those who follow the festivities are now being invited to share their stories of what Nobel Day means for them.

Nobel Laureates in Physics and Chemistry will talk to ESA astronaut Luca Parmitano and NASA astronaut Jessica Meir on 6 December as the Nobel Week festivities begin in Stockholm, Sweden.

Today Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) is launching a jewellery installation at Nobel Prize Museum. The collection, which consists of jewellery pieces cast in the shape of medicines, was produced by alumni of Beckmans College of Design in Stockholm and is an effort to make the public aware that millions of people do not have access to vital medicines because these are too expensive.