Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2026 awarded to Karl Deisseroth, Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel for optogenetics
The 2026 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded jointly to Karl Deisseroth (USA), Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel (Germany) for discoveries concerning light-gated ion channels and optogenetics.
Summary
The Nobel Assembly at Karolinska Institutet announced on 5 October 2026 that the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2026 is awarded jointly to Karl Deisseroth, Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel ‘for their discoveries concerning light-gated ion channels and optogenetics’. Hegemann and Nagel discovered channelrhodopsin, a light-sensitive protein in the single-celled alga Chlamydomonas, and Deisseroth turned it into a light-controlled switch for nerve cells. Optogenetics lets scientists control nerve signals with light to map how brain circuits shape memories, feelings and behaviour. The prize of 12 million Swedish kronor is shared equally among the three laureates.
Key facts
- Prize
- Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2026
- Announced
- 5 October 2026
- Karl Deisseroth
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Stanford University, USA
- Peter Hegemann
- Humboldt University of Berlin, Germany
- Georg Nagel
- University of Würzburg, Germany
- Citation
- Discoveries concerning light-gated ion channels and optogenetics
- Key protein
- Channelrhodopsin (from alga Chlamydomonas)
- Awarded by
- Nobel Assembly at Karolinska Institutet
- Prize amount
- SEK 12 million, shared equally
Practice MCQs 4 questions
The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2026 was awarded for discoveries concerning:
Show answer
Correct answer: D — Light-gated ion channels and optogenetics
Channelrhodopsin, the protein at the centre of the 2026 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, was discovered in which organism?
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Correct answer: A — Chlamydomonas, a single-celled alga
Which body decides and announces the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine?
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Correct answer: B — Nobel Assembly at Karolinska Institutet
Which of the following was NOT a laureate of the 2026 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine?
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Correct answer: D — Ed Boyden