London

Ion cast: Clay Armstrong, Bertie Hille and Roderick MacKinnon Credit: ARNOLD ADLER 1999

Research that pioneered the understanding of electricity in biology was this week rewarded when three scientists shared the Albert Lasker award for basic medical research. Clay Armstrong of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Bertil Hille of the University of Washington, Seattle, and Roderick MacKinnon of the Rockefeller University in New York were recognized for their work on ion-channel proteins. Lasker awards are widely seen as highly significant, as many recipients subsequently win Nobel prizes.

Ion channels are holes in the membranes of cells that control the movement of ions, governing the electrical potential of membranes and intracellular signalling. They are basic to the body's electrical system, and control phenomena such as nerve impulses, muscle contraction and cardiac rhythm.

Armstrong was recognized for his work in elucidating the excitability of cell membranes and ion-channel gating. In the 1970s, Armstrong and Hille were among the few who believed that ion channels existed. Hille, who has worked for many years on various ion channels, is widely seen as one of the founders of this field. He showed that channels are independent physical entities within the membrane, and that they are selective to specific ions.

Potassium channels are among the most important molecules in the electrical signalling system. MacKinnon has been honoured for his work on the structure and function of these channels. He produced the first molecular description of an ion-selective channel. His 1998 paper in Science on the crystal structure of potassium channels was a crucial step forward for this field and sparked much new research.