Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1978
Photo: Universal Pictorial Press and Agency. Nobel Foundation archive
Werner Arber
Prize share: 1/3
Photo from the Nobel Foundation archive.
Daniel Nathans
Prize share: 1/3
Photo from the Nobel Foundation archive.
Hamilton O. Smith
Prize share: 1/3
The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1978 was awarded jointly to Werner Arber, Daniel Nathans and Hamilton O. Smith "for the discovery of restriction enzymes and their application to problems of molecular genetics"
Nobel Prize announcements 2025
This year’s Nobel Prize announcements will take place 6–13 October. All announcements will be streamed live here on nobelprize.org.
Explore prizes and laureates
Look for popular awards and laureates in different fields, and discover the history of the Nobel Prize.