Nobel Prize in Medicine 2026 Goes to Optogenetics Pioneers Deisseroth, Hegemann and Nagel
The three scientists were honoured for discovering light-gated ion channels and turning them into a tool to control individual nerve cells.
The 2026 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine has been awarded to Karl Deisseroth, Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel for discoveries that made it possible to control individual nerve cells with light.
Deisseroth, 54, is at Stanford University in California. Hegemann, 71, is at Humboldt University in Berlin, and Nagel, 73, is at the University of Würzburg in Germany.
What they discovered
Hegemann and Nagel identified light-gated ion channels — proteins in algae that open in response to light. Deisseroth showed how these proteins could be introduced into neurons so that scientists can switch specific brain cells on or off with flashes of light, a technique known as optogenetics.
The Nobel committee said the method is now used in laboratories around the world to reveal the brain's mysteries, helping researchers map circuits involved in movement, memory, mood and disease.
The prize
The award carries 12 million Swedish kronor (about $1.2 million), shared among the laureates. The medicine prize opens Nobel week, with physics, chemistry and literature to be announced in the coming days.
Source: AP / The Siasat Daily
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