--- description: The Japanese cell biologist Yoshinori Ohsumi has been awarded the 2016 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine title: 5 Things to Know About Nobel Prize Winner Yoshinori Ohsumi image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt201946654f130722/6988a862bc6cfc389f3dec6a/ap_486017440916.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Health](/section/health/) ## Health Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [medicine](/tag/medicine/) ## medicine Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # 5 Things to Know About Nobel Prize Winner Yoshinori Ohsumi by [Kate Samuelson](/author/kate-samuelson/) ## Kate Samuelson Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Oct 3, 2016 12:30 PM CUT  Yoshinori Ohsumi, 71, an honorary professor at Tokyo Institute of Technology speaks at a news conference at its university facility in Tokyo on Oct. 3, 2016\. 2016. Yoshinori Ohsumi, 71, an honorary professor at Tokyo Institute of Technology speaks at a news conference at its university facility in Tokyo on Oct. 3, 2016\. 2016.Noriaki Sasaki—AP by [Kate Samuelson](/author/kate-samuelson/) ## Kate Samuelson Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Oct 3, 2016 12:30 PM CUT The Japanese cell biologist [Yoshinori Ohsumi](http://time.com/4516302/yoshinori-ohsumi-nobel-prize-medicine/ "undefined") has been awarded the 2016 [Nobel Prize](http://time.com/money/4063339/nobel-prize-worth/ "undefined") in Physiology or Medicine, for his “discoveries of mechanisms for autophagy”. Autophagy, meaning ‘self-eating’, is the way cells can remain healthy through an internal recycling program whereby they destroy their own contents in order to make way for new cells, as well as fighting off invading bacteria and viruses. Ohsumi, 71, will receive 8m Swedish kronor ($937,399) for his achievement at the [Nobel awards ceremony](http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/0,28757,2096389,00.html "undefined") Dec. 10 in Stockholm. Here’s what we know about him: **1\. He’s the fourth Japanese scientist to have won a Nobel Prize for medicine**Ohsumi is the 25th Japanese person to win a Nobel Prize, and the fourth to win the medicine prize, according to [_The Japan Times_](http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2016/10/03/world/japanese-microbiologist-yoshinori-ohsumi-wins-nobel-prize-in-medicine-for-autophagy-research/#.V%5FJKQJMrJsY "undefined"). Born in 1945 in Fukuoka, Japan, he spent three years at Rockefeller University in New York before returning to the University of Tokyo (where he previously received a PhD) to establish his research group. He is currently a professor at the Tokyo Institute of Technology. **2\. He’s the first scientist to define cell recycling**Cells need to recycle in order to survive. “When nutrients are scarce, the cell has a system for breaking down old or unneeded machinery and harvesting the parts to keep itself going,” explains Ivan Semeniuk of [_The Globe and Mail_](http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health-and-fitness/health/canadas-gairdner-international-awards-put-spotlight-on-inner-workings-of-the-cell/article23586608/ "undefined"). This crucial, ‘self-eating’ system, known as autophagy, was detected by Ohsumi in baker’s yeast cells in 1988\. He has since [referred to himself](http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health-and-fitness/health/canadas-gairdner-international-awards-put-spotlight-on-inner-workings-of-the-cell/article23586608/ "undefined") as “a basic researcher in yeast” – even though his discovery is widely recognized as fundamental to human cell survival. **3\. His focus of research could help explain a number of diseases**As cancer or neurological disorders such as Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s can form when there are mutations in autopaghy genes, studying this recycling system can help explain – and prevent – the occurrence of many diseases. Speaking to the _Globe and Mail_ after receiving the 2015 Gairdner International Award, Canada’s top international medical-science prizes, Ohsumi said he believed his discovery’s “relevance to many diseases will be discovered in the near future”. **4\. It also explains how we can adapt to starvation**Autophagy is a natural defence our bodies use to survive – and exploring it can help scientists understand how we manage to cope with extreme situations. “Ohsumi’s discoveries opened the path to understanding the fundamental importance of autophagy in many physiological processes, such as in the adaptation to starvation or response to infection,” said the Nobel Assembly in a [press release](https://www.nobelprize.org/nobel%5Fprizes/medicine/laureates/2016/press.html "undefined"). **5\. He had a message for young scientists**Ohsumi was surprised about winning the prize, but “extremely honored”, the _Associated Press_ reported Monday, following the announcement. “All I can say is, it’s such an honor,” he told reporters at the Tokyo Institute of Technology, according to the Japanese broadcaster NHK and [_The New York Times_](http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/04/science/yoshinori-ohsumi-nobel-prize-medicine.html?%5Fr=0 "undefined"). “I’d like to tell young people that not all can be successful in science, but it’s important to rise to the challenge.” ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4516341/yoshinori-ohsumi-nobel-prize-winner/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4516341/yoshinori-ohsumi-nobel-prize-winner/"},"headline":"5 Things to Know About Nobel Prize Winner Yoshinori Ohsumi","datePublished":"2016-10-03T12:30:24.000Z","dateModified":"2026-03-31T10:13:53.581Z","description":"The Japanese professor refers to himself as \"a basic researcher in yeast\"","url":"https://time.com/4516341/yoshinori-ohsumi-nobel-prize-winner/","keywords":["medicine","nobel prize"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt201946654f130722/6988a862bc6cfc389f3dec6a/ap_486017440916.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Kate Samuelson","jobTitle":"","url":"https://time.com/author/kate-samuelson/"}],"articleSection":"Health","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt201946654f130722/6988a862bc6cfc389f3dec6a/ap_486017440916.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Japanese scientist Ohsumi wins Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine","caption":"Japanese scientist Ohsumi wins Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine","creditText":"Noriaki Sasaki—AP","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/health/","name":"Health"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/medicine/","name":"medicine"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4516341/yoshinori-ohsumi-nobel-prize-winner/","name":"5 Things to Know About Nobel Prize Winner Yoshinori Ohsumi"}}]}] ```