The 2026 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine has been awarded to Karl Deisseroth of the USA, Peter Hegemann of Germany, and Georg Nagel of Germany for their development of optogenetics, a technology that uses light to control nerve cells in the brain. The award was announced on October 6, 2026.
According to Namasthe Telangana, the Nobel Assembly at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden selected them for their 'discoveries related to light-gated ion channels and optogenetics.'
The three scientists will share the prize money of 12 million Swedish Kronor, which is approximately 1.2 million US dollars.
Perlman, Secretary-General of the Nobel Assembly at Karolinska Institutet, stated that this method makes it possible to turn individual nerve cell activity in the living brain on or off. He added that this method is now being used in laboratories worldwide to uncover the brain's secrets.
Namasthe Telangana reported that the foundation for this crucial discovery was laid when Hegemann observed how Chlamydomonas algae responded to light in half a millisecond in the early 1990s.
These discoveries will inspire medical researchers and neuroscience students in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana to better understand brain function and develop new treatments for neurological disorders.