Their research improved the understanding of how cells work and help in the development of cancer treatments.

Svetlana Alexievich, a Belarussian journalist and prose writer known for deeply researched works about female Russian soldiers in World War II and the aftermath of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, won the Nobel Prize in Literature.

Meanwhile, the Nobel Peace Prize winner is due to be announced today and speculation is running rampant about which do-gooder(s) might be taking home the prestigious award.

According to foreign media the most likely contenders of the prestigious award are Angela Merkel, Mussie Zerai, Pope Francis, Denis Mukwege and Novaya Gazeta.

Others on bookmakers’ lists include UN Secretary-General Ban-Ki Moon, exiled U.S. whistleblower Edward Snowden and the World Health Organization.