Nobel medicine prize honours US and German scientists for optogenetics work
Summary
American scientist Karl Deisseroth and German scientists Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel won the 2026 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their work on optogenetics, a method that uses light to control nerve cells. Their discoveries have helped scientists better understand how the brain works.Key Facts
- Karl Deisseroth, Peter Hegemann, and Georg Nagel received the 2026 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.
- They were recognized for discovering a molecular switch that controls nerve cell activity using light, known as optogenetics.
- Optogenetics allows scientists to turn specific nerve cells on or off to study behaviors like learning and movement.
- This technique helps map the brain and is used in research labs worldwide.
- Researchers hope optogenetics could improve devices like cochlear implants for hearing.
- Deisseroth works at Stanford University in the US; Hegemann at Humboldt University of Berlin; Nagel at the University of Wurzburg.
- The Nobel Prize money totals about $1.2 million to be shared among the three scientists.
- The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine is the first Nobel announced each year and is followed by awards in physics, chemistry, literature, and peace.
Read the Full Article
This is a fact-based summary from The Actual News. Click below to read the complete story directly from the original source.
