He may have been the only one at the U. who was shocked. The U. has been on "Capecchi Nobel watch" for several years, convinced his breakthrough would one day be recognized. And when the call came, they sprang into action, organizing events including a more private reception with staff and friends later in the day.

Meanwhile, Susan Sample, of the U. public affairs department, was helping to field calls from the media, including "lots of requests from Italian media" also proud to claim the latest Nobel Prize winner.

Capecchi's list of previous awards is long and impressive, including the Albert Lasker Award for Basic Medical Research and the National Medal of Science, America's highest award for lifetime achievement in research. He's also received Israel's highest honor for medical research, the Wolf Prize in Medicine, as well as the Pezcoller Foundation-American Association for Cancer Research International Award for Cancer Research. In 2005, he was honored with a March of Dimes prize in developmental biology.

A scientist at the Eccles Institute of Human Genetics at the U. medical school, Capecchi also serves as co-chairman of the Department of Human Genetics and helped found the Brain Institute at the U. He holds a presidential endowed chair in health sciences and is a member of the National Academy of Sciences.

As for the future, Capecchi said his lab is working on a project that will "take at least another 20 years." And he plans to be there, he said, adding with a small smile, "I hope."

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E-mail: lois@desnews.com