(Image source: YSA of Medical University of Vienna)

BY EMILY SPAIN

You're watching multisource science news analysis from Newsy. 

A biologist died just three days before winning the Nobel Prize.
68-year-old Ralph Steinman died Friday of pancreatic cancer, and on Monday became a Nobel winner.

He won the award for Physiology or Medicine along with scientists Bruce Beutler and Jules Hoffmann.  Steinman won for his discovery of cells in the immune system that science can use to avoid infections.

But Steinman’s death threw the prestigious organization a curve ball.

CNN reports:
 

“The Nobel committee was unaware of his death...”

and included this statement from the Nobel Assembly:
 

“‘The events that have occurred are unique and, to the best of our knowledge, are unprecedented in the history of the Nobel Prize.’”  

Since 1974, the organization ruled a Nobel Prize cannot be awarded after someone dies, unless the death happens after it’s announced. But in this case, it made an exception. CTV writes:
 

“The Nobel Foundation announced Monday afternoon it has decided to honour Steinman with the award...”

The foundation told CTV:
 

"’...the decision to award the Nobel Prize to Ralph Steinman was made in good faith, based on the assumption that the Nobel Laureate was alive.’”

So Steinman’s a winner after all. Besides winning the Nobel Prize, Steinman’s discovery has another interesting accomplishment. Here’s HLN’s Robin Meade with the info:

“The university says that the advances that he made helped to extend his own life.”

Steinman battled cancer for four years. He worked as a cell biologist for Rockford University. His $1.5 million award will be given to his estate.
 

Transcript by Newsy.