The 2026 Nobel Prize in Medicine laureates have been announced

The 2026 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to Karl Deisseroth, Peter Hegemann, and Georg Nagel. The scientists were honored for their discovery of light-gated ion channels and the development of optogenetics.

This was reported on the official website of the Nobel Prize.

Optogenetics is a method that allows you to control the activity of individual nerve cells using light.

Thanks to this technology, scientists can more precisely study the functioning of the brain and determine how nerve cells affect memory, emotions, and behavior.

Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel studied light-sensitive proteins in unicellular algae and discovered channelrhodopsins, proteins that respond to light and pass ions across the cell membrane.

Karl Deisseroth used these discoveries to develop a method that allows the activity of neurons to be turned on and off using light.

The Nobel Committee noted that these studies opened up new possibilities for neuroscience and made it possible to study the functions of nerve cells with high precision.

The technology is already widely used in brain research, and its potential for future treatments for neurological and mental illnesses is being studied.

The winners will share 12 million Swedish kronor in prize money.

The announcement of the laureates in medicine opened Nobel Week 2026.

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