Sign up for CNN's Wonder Theory science newsletter. Explore the universe with news on fascinating discoveries, scientific advancements and more.The best minds in science will be thrust from academic obscurity into the spotlight next week when the Nobel Prizes in physics, chemistry, and physiology or medicine are announced.The accolades, established by Swedish industrialist Alfred Nobel more than a century ago, celebrate groundbreaking work that can take decades to complete.It's notoriously tricky to predict who will win science's top honors. The short list and nominators remain a secret, and documents revealing the details of the selection process are sealed from public view for 50 years.However, there is no shortage of Nobel-worthy discoveries: Here are five breakthroughs that haven't resulted in a life-changing call from Stockholm -- at least not yet.The first human genome The mapping of the human genome has had a huge impact on biology and other fields. The output from a DNA sequencer is shown in this undated image from the National Human Genome Research Institute. - NHGRI/AP/FileOne often discussed candidate for the Nobel Prize is the mapping of the human genome, an audacious project that launched in 1990 and was completed in 2003.Cracking the genetic code of human life involved an international consortium of thousands of researchers in the United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Japan and China.The endeavor has had a far-reaching impact on biology, medicine and many other fields. But one reason the project may not have earned a Nobel Prize is the sheer number of people involved in the feat.According to the rules laid down by Nobel in his 1895 will, the prizes can only honor up to three people per award -- a growing challenge given the collaborative nature of much scientific research.A revolution in obesity treatment Novo Nordisk production facilities in Hillerød, Denmark, produce GLP-1 injection pens. - Carsten Snejbjerg/Bloomberg/Getty Images/FileThe development of blockbuster weight-loss drugs that mimic a hormone called glucagon-like peptide 1, or GLP-1, has shaken up the world of health care in the past few years.One in eight people in the world live with obesity -- a figure that has more than doubled since ...