Deisseroth, Hegemann, Nagel win 2026 Nobel Prize in Medicine - Punch Newspapers

Three scientists have won the 2026 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for discoveries that have transformed scientists’ ability to study and control nerve cells in the living brain. Karl Deisseroth of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Stanford University in the United States, Peter Hegemann of Humboldt University of Berlin, Germany, and Georg Nagel of the University of Würzburg, Germany, were jointly awarded the prize on Monday. The Nobel Assembly at Karolinska Institutet announced the laureates in its press release dated October 5, 2026. The trio were recognised “for their discoveries concerning light-gated ion channels and optogenetics.” The Nobel Assembly said their work laid “the foundation of a new era in neuroscience” by enabling researchers to investigate how nerve cells shape memories, feelings and behaviours in the living brain. The breakthrough centres on optogenetics, a technique that uses light to control the activity of nerve cells. According to the Nobel Assembly, the work began with Hegemann’s efforts to understand how Chlamydomonas, a single-celled alga, swims towards light. In the early 2000s, Hegemann and Nagel discovered channelrhodopsin, a protein found on the surface of the alga.See more Punch stories on Google.Add Punch on Google “When it is illuminated by blue light, a channel opens through the protein. Charged ions then flow into the cell, creating an electrical impulse,” the Nobel Assembly said. The scientists also found that when the protein was introduced into other cells, those cells became sensitive to light. Deisseroth subsequently took the discovery into neuroscience. The Nobel Assembly said he introduced the gene for channelrhodopsin into rat nerve cells and used blue light to trigger nerve signals. Nobel Peace Prize jury treads carefully after Trump campaign Nobel prize sum raised to $1.27m for 2026 ISN, ABUAD urges more investment in African neuroscience research “He published this breakthrough in 2005. Two years later, he made this light-controlled switch for nerve cells work in the brains of living mice,” the statement said. The technique, now known as optogenetics, has since become an important tool in neuroscience research. Researchers have used it to identify neural circuits involved in specific memories, feelings and behaviours, including those relevant to neurological and psychiatric disorders. The Nobel Assembly said researchers are also using the method in attempts to restore sight in people with visual impairment. Per Svenningsson, Chair of the Nobel Committee for Physiology or Medicine, said the technology had opened possibilities that researchers previously could only imagine. “Optogenetics provides opportunities for mapping the brain in a way that we could once only dream of,” Svenningsson said. The Nobel Assembly said that before these discoveries, scientists could identify brain areas associated with particular functions but struggled to establish causal relationships. “The image they developed of the brain was like a sketch map, full of question marks and unknowns,” it said. The committee said optogenetics had fundamentally changed that picture. “Every day brings new discoveries, helping to solve one of humanity’s great mysteries: how our incredible brain works,” the Nobel Assembly said. The 2026 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine is the first of this year’s Nobel prizes to be announced. More details are expected from the Nobel Assembly on the laureates and their work. Tosin Oyediran Tosin Oyediran is a journalist with Punch Newspapers, bringing over eight years of newsroom experience to his coverage of politics, health, advocacy, sports, and entertainment. Known for sharp interviews and human-centered reporting, his work focuses on public accountability, civic issues, and the stories shaping everyday lives.

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