Nobel medicine prize honours US and German scientists for optogenetics work

The winners of the Nobel Prizes in physics, chemistry, literature, peace and ‌economics will be announced in the week.American scientist Karl Deisseroth and Germans Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel have won the 2026 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their pioneering discoveries on light and Optogenetics that have helped understand ⁠how the brain works.The Nobel Assembly of Sweden’s Karolinska Institute medical university said on Monday that Deisseroth, 54, Hegemann, 71, and Nagel, 73, were honoured “for their discovery of a molecular switch for nerve cells”.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4‘I want to cry’: Afghan medical students in Pakistan face expulsion fearlist 2 of 4The story of a book in Gaza: A treasured possession given new lease of lifelist 3 of 4HIV prevention drug hailed as breakthrough, but who gets access?list 4 of 4UN experts say Belarus justice system used to target Lukashenko opponentsend of listOptogenetics involves controlling nerve signals with light, and helps researchers understand how specific cell types contribute to behaviours like learning, fear, addiction and movement.“Optogenetics has fundamentally altered our understanding of the brain. Every day brings new discoveries, helping to solve one of humanity’s great mysteries: how our incredible brain works,” the Nobel Assembly said.Thomas Perlmann, the secretary-general of the ⁠Nobel Assembly at Karolinska Institute, added that Optogenetics “makes it possible to switch on, or off, the activity of individual nerve cells in a living brain”.“This method is now being used in laboratories around the world to reveal the brain’s mysteries,” Perlmann added.“Optogenetics provides opportunities for mapping the brain in a way that we could once only dream of,” Per Svenningsson, chair of the Nobel committee, said in a statement.Researchers also hope Optogenetics could improve cochlear implants, allowing more precise stimulation of the auditory nerve than current electrical devices.