Three scientists whose work made it possible to control and study nerve cells with light have won the 2026 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.
The laureates are American scientist Karl Deisseroth and German researchers Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel, whose combined work on optogenetics has opened new possibilities for investigating how the brain processes and controls complex functions.
The technique gives researchers a way to activate or inhibit selected nerve cells with light, making it possible to examine the activity of individual parts of neural networks with far greater precision. This has helped scientists investigate how brain circuits are linked to functions such as memory, emotions and behaviour.
Hegemann and Nagel were instrumental in identifying channelrhodopsin, a light-sensitive protein found in algae. Deisseroth later adapted the discovery for use in nerve cells, helping establish optogenetics as a powerful tool for studying the nervous system.
The Nobel Prize committee said the work has helped usher neuroscience into a new phase by giving researchers a means of examining specific neural circuits associated with neurological and psychiatric conditions. Anna Wedell, a member of the committee, said the approach could help scientists determine which cells are involved in particular brain functions.
David Pendlebury of Clarivate’s Institute for Scientific Information described the recognition as a reflection of the field’s major influence on modern neuroscience, noting that the technique has changed how researchers investigate and manipulate neural activity.
