Jules Hoffmann is a French biologist. In 2011, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine together with Bruce Beutler and Ralph M. Steinmann. The three scientists researched how the body fends off bacteria and viruses, fungi, and parasites. Jules Hoffmann’s discoveries are based on his research into the immune system and the associated proteins in flies. Similar proteins in humans, the Toll‐like receptors, play a role in differentiating between “self” and “non‐self”. These discoveries have contributed substantially to understanding illnesses and have advanced the development of new therapies against infections and cancer.