Temperature and pressure. Two sensations of vital importance in one’s daily life. Yet science has been lacking a deeper understanding of how these sensations are detected and encoded on a molecular level.

Thanks to the work of David Julius and Ardem Patapoutian, winners of the 2020 Kavli Prize in Neuroscience, our knowledge in this area has increased significantly. Their discovery of the receptors for touch, heat, and cold will have tremendous implications for how we understand numerous biological functions and how we experience pain.