Carl Deisserot, Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel have been awarded the 2026 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their discoveries related to light-activated ion channels and optogenetics. The American scientist and his German colleagues will share a prize fund of 12 million Swedish Kronor, or about $1.2 million.
The decision was made by the Nobel Assembly at the Karolinska Institute. The citation states: “Optogenetics makes it possible to switch on or off the activity of individual nerve cells in a living brain“. According to the Nobel Assembly, the method is already being used in laboratories around the world to study the brain.
Light instead of an electrical signal
Optogenetics combines genetic methods and light to allow precise control of specific nerve cells. This allows researchers to observe not only which cells are active, but also how changes in their activity affect memory, feelings and behavior.
Peter Hegemann, 71, and Georg Nagel, 73, discovered light-sensitive ion channels. These proteins respond to light and can change the electrical activity of the cell. Karl Deisserot, 54, turned the discovery into a tool for controlling nerve cells.
The technology allows scientists to turn the activity of individual cells in a living brain on or off using light pulses. This opens up a new approach to studying the neural circuits that underlie memory, emotion and behavior.
Nobel Week Begins
The Prize in Physiology or Medicine is traditionally the first of the Nobel Prizes to be announced each year. It is followed by the prizes in physics, chemistry, literature, peace and economics.
The first five prizes have been awarded since 1901, according to the will of Swedish inventor and industrialist Alfred Nobel. The Prize in Economic Sciences was established in 1968 by the central bank of Sweden.
The Nobel Prizes are awarded on December 10, the date on which Alfred Nobel died. The ceremonies are held in Stockholm, and the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded in Oslo.
Sources: independent.co.uk, apnews.com, theguardian.com