The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for 2026 has been awarded to Karl Deisseroth, Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel for their groundbreaking work on light-sensitive proteins known as light-gated ion channels. Their research laid the foundation for optogenetics, a technique that allows scientists to switch neurons on and off using targeted flashes of light.
The discovery began with studies of single-celled organisms that respond to sunlight, revealing specialized proteins embedded in cell membranes that open in response to specific wavelengths of light. By inserting the genes for these proteins into neurons, researchers can make brain cells sensitive to light, then activate or silence them with remarkable precision using optical fibers.
This innovation has transformed neuroscience, giving researchers an unprecedented tool to map how individual neurons and neural circuits influence behavior, memory and movement. Optogenetics has already deepened understanding of conditions such as Parkinson’s disease, addiction and depression, and continues to open new paths for treating neurological and psychiatric disorders.
The Nobel committee emphasized that the trio’s work exemplifies how basic biological curiosity, in this case about how microorganisms sense light, can lead to tools with enormous medical and scientific impact.
For the full story, you can read the original article in The New York Times.
Source: Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine Is Awarded for Discoveries in Neuroscience (rss.nytimes.com).
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