From Dw · · 1m 20s
German and US scientists win Nobel Prize 2026
German and US scientists win Nobel Prize 2026 for light-gated brain research.
In brief
German and US scientists win Nobel Prize 2026 for light-gated brain research. Karl Deisseroth, Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel win 2026 Nobel Prize in medicine for light-gated ion channels and optogenetics. Originally reported by Dw.
Nobel Prize 2026 winners
The Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine 2026 has gone to Karl Deisseroth, Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel.
Optogenetics breakthrough
They won for discoveries concerning light-gated ion channels and optogenetics, which combines optics and genetics to create noninvasive neural stimulation.
Brain impact
The Nobel Assembly said optogenetics has fundamentally altered our understanding of the brain, revealing neural circuits for specific memories, feelings, and behaviors relevant for neurological and psychiatric disorders.
Clinical applications
Researchers use optogenetics to restore sight in people with visual impairment and hope it leads to treatments for Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, and other neurological disorders.
Winners' backgrounds
Hegemann is a professor of neuroscience at Humboldt University of Berlin, Germany. Nagel is a biophysicist at University of Würzburg, Germany. Deisseroth is a professor at Stanford University in the US.
How optogenetics works
Hegemann explored how green algae swim toward light. He and Nagel discovered a protein that opens a channel when illuminated by blue light. Deisseroth created a light-controlled switch for nerve cells in mice brains.
What it means
Karl Deisseroth, Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel win 2026 Nobel Prize in medicine for light-gated ion channels and optogenetics.
