Scientists honoured for fixing thriller of uneven ‘mirror picture’ molecules that has helped in manufacture of prescription drugs.
Printed On 7 Oct 2026
Scientists Henri Kagan and Kenso Soai have received the 2026 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for fixing a longstanding riddle of uneven “mirror picture” molecules, a discovery massively necessary for pharmaceutical manufacturing.
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences mentioned on Wednesday the pair – Kagan, 95, from France; and Soai, 76, from Japan – had been honoured “for the invention of nonlinear results and autocatalysis in uneven natural synthesis”.
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Their findings confirmed how chemical reactions might be pushed to favour a single molecular mirror picture, work that has been key for chemists who design reactions for the manufacture of prescription drugs.
Most of the molecules important to life exist in two varieties which might be mirror pictures of one another, like left and proper fingers. But dwelling organisms nearly completely use just one model, a phenomenon generally known as “homochirality” – from the Greek phrase for hand – that has puzzled chemists for greater than a century.
“The left-handed model of the drug can have one impact, and the right-handed model can have one other impact, after which we’d like strategies for selectively making ready them,” mentioned Peter Somfai, a member of the Nobel Committee for Chemistry.
“In creating such strategies, the findings of this yr’s laureates are necessary. They offered highly effective instruments for that,” he mentioned.
Heiner Linke, chair of the committee, mentioned the 2 scientists offered “an answer to a chemical thriller that’s over a century previous: how homochirality can emerge spontaneously”, calling the chemical reactions they developed “spectacular”.
‘Most fun day’
Soai, talking by cellphone to the Nobel Prize information convention, mentioned he had been out purchasing when he acquired the information.
“That is essentially the most thrilling day in my life, I’m very glad to share this prize with Professor Henri Kagan,” he added.
Final yr’s chemistry award went to scientists Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson and Omar Yaghi for the event of so-called metal-organic frameworks, molecular constructions that may assist deal with challenges comparable to local weather change and lack of freshwater.
The chemistry Nobel is at all times the third prize to be awarded throughout Nobel week, following these for medicine and physics.
The literature laureate will probably be revealed on Thursday, whereas the keenly anticipated peace prize is due on Friday.
Established within the will of Swedish inventor and businessman Alfred Nobel, the prizes for achievements in science, literature and peace have been awarded since 1901, with just a few interruptions principally because of the world wars.
Nobel, a chemist by commerce, amassed large wealth within the nineteenth century from innovations primarily tied to warfare, most notably dynamite. The economics prize is a later addition funded by the Swedish central financial institution.
