British Nobel prize winner 'an inspiration to scientists'

British scientists have been told to hold Robert Edwards as their inspiration after he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2010 for his work on in vitro fertilisation.

The development has impacted on the lives of more than ten per cent of couples all over the world, the prize's awarding body notes.

First considered in the 1950s, it would be almost three decades before, on July 25th 1978, Edwards was able to bring the first test tube baby into the world.

His research yielded previously unknown information about the lifecycle of human eggs, leading to the development of artificial insemination processes suitable for human physiology.

Commenting on the award, David Willetts, minister for universities and science, says: "This prize demonstrates the immense contribution UK researchers bring to science and should act as an inspiration to the next generation of scientists who can help to secure our world lead."