A trio of geneticists, two from the US and one from UK, won the Nobel Prize for physiology and medicine on Monday, the first awarded by Sweden's Royal Academy of Sciences this year.

Americans Mario Capecchi and Oliver Smithies, as well as Briton Martin Evans, won their award for developing a gene technique that allows replicating human diseases in mice.

It has proven crucial for understanding more about how different illnesses develop in the human body, as well as raising hopes for finding cures to a host of genetic conditions that are incurable at present.

In its citation, the Nobel Committee praised the technique, known as gene targeting, as "an immensely powerful technology" which was now being used in virtually all areas of biomedical research.

"Its impact on the understanding of gene function and its benefits to mankind will continue to increase over many years to come."

The prize for medicine is the first awarded by the Nobel Committee, to be followed by the physics, chemistry, literature and peace awards later this week. The final award, for achievements in the field of economy, will be presented a week from Monday.

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