‘Theory of all matter’ physicists among 2023 Breakthrough prize winners

Prof John Cardy (right), an emeritus fellow at the University of Oxford, shares this year’s physics prize with Alexander Zamolodchikov (left). Composite: John Griffin / Handout

Two physicists who played a key role in advancing a theory that describes the basis of all matter and a pair of immunologists who developed a pioneering cancer therapy that is currently being investigated as a treatment for autoimmune disease are among the winners of the most lucrative prize in science.

Founded in 2012, the Breakthrough prize is the world’s largest international science prize, with the winners of the five main awards – three in life sciences, one in fundamental physics, and one in mathematics – each receiving a $3m (£2.4m) prize