Nobel Prize 2026 in chemistry awarded to Henri B Kagan and Kenso Soai

The 2026 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine has been awarded to three scientists for their groundbreaking discoveries related to light-gated ion channels and optogenetics. Karl Deisseroth, Peter Hegemann, and Georg Nagel were honored for their work that enabled the control of nerve cell activity using light. This breakthrough led to the creation of optogenetics, a technique that allows researchers to selectively activate or silence specific cells with light.

Hegemann and Nagel made the initial discovery of proteins that facilitate the passage of charged particles through cell membranes when exposed to light. Deisseroth subsequently expanded upon this research, refining optogenetics into a powerful tool for neuroscience. This method has become an essential means for scientists to study the brain and nervous system by enabling precise control of individual neurons with light.

The Nobel committee praised their work as "for discoveries leading to optogenetics, which makes it possible to switch on, or off, the activity of individual nerve cells in a living brain." They noted that this method is now widely used in laboratories worldwide to unravel the complexities of the brain. The prize, awarded by the Nobel Assembly at Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, comes with a monetary award of 12 million Swedish kronor (approximately $1.2 million).

Since its inception in 1901, the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine has been awarded 116 times, recognizing 232 individuals. With this year's award, the total number of Medicine prizes stands at 117. The youngest laureate was Frederick G. Banting, who was 31 when he received the 1923 prize for insulin discovery, while the oldest was Peyton Rous at 87, who received the 1966 prize for work on tumour-inducing viruses.

This year's Medicine prize follows other award categories, including Physics, Chemistry, Literature, Peace, and Economics.