The 2026 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine has been awarded to Karl Deisseroth, Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel for their discoveries involving light-gated ion channels and optogenetics. The Nobel Prize was announced on Monday.
The three scientists were recognised for work that helped establish a way to control biological activity using light. Their discoveries have been particularly important in neuroscience, where researchers can use light to study and manipulate the activity of nerve cells.
The award brings together research that spans the discovery of light-sensitive ion channels and the development of methods that use those channels to control cells.
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Optogenetics has become an important tool for investigating how neural circuits function and how changes in neuronal activity are linked to behaviour and disease.
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Deisseroth, Hegemann and Nagel's work has helped researchers gain greater control over individual cells and neural pathways, opening new possibilities for studying the brain with precision.
The Nobel Assembly at Karolinska Institutet selected the laureates for the Medicine prize, continuing the Nobel tradition of recognising discoveries that have significantly advanced understanding of human biology and disease.
The announcement marks the beginning of the 2026 Nobel Prize announcements, with the Medicine award traditionally opening the week of prizes.
The Nobel prizes recognise achievements across science, literature and peace, with the economics prize awarded separately in memory of Alfred Nobel.
The 2026 Medicine laureates' research is especially significant because it gives scientists a powerful experimental method for examining the nervous system.
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By making specific cells responsive to light, optogenetics allows researchers to investigate biological processes with a level of control that conventional approaches cannot provide.
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