Several companies are already seeking to take advantage of the new field, called synthetic biology, which combines chemistry, computer science, molecular biology, genetics and cell biology to breed industrial life forms that can secrete fuels, vaccines or other commercial products.

WSJ: Scientists Create First Synthetic Cell

"This is the first evidence that myostatin regulates muscle mass in people as it does in other animals, " said Dr Se-Jin Lee, professor of molecular biology and genetics at Johns Hopkins University and one of those involved in the study.

BBC: Myostatin controls the growth of muscles

Intersecting advances in cloning, genetics, instrumentation, and molecular and structural biology have allowed researchers to see beyond the exterior morphology of cells and tap their component molecules for solutions.

FORBES: Breakthrough Technologies For 2008

The prize rewards the efforts of an individual, an institution, a non-governmental organisation or another entity which, through research and development, has made an outstanding contribution to the field of microbiology (including immunology, molecular biology, genetics, etc.) and its applications.

UNESCO: Apply for UNESCO Prizes