https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/discovery-of-molecular-switch-for-how-cells-use-oxygen-wins-2019-nobel-prize-in-medicine1/

This year’s Nobel Prize in Medicine was awarded to three researchers who helped reveal the mechanism by which cells in the body sense and adapt to oxygen availability. William Kaelin Jr., Peter Ratcliffe and Gregg Semenza shared the prize for their work, which has played a critical role in understanding—and ultimately treating—diseases such as anemia and cancer. The scientists will share the prize, worth 9 million Swedish Krona ($907,695).

“Oxygen is essential for life, and is used by virtually all animal cells in order to convert food to energy,” said Randall Johnson of the Karolinska Institute, a member of the Nobel Committee, at a press conference in Sweden announcing the prize Monday morning. “This prize is for three physician scientists who found the molecular switch that regulates how our cells adapt when oxygen levels drop.”