OMM Redaksiyası
“AnewZ” has outlined the main developments in the 2026 Nobel Prizes in its daily review for Oct. 6, 2026.
Prize in Physiology or Medicine
American neuroscientist Karl Deisseroth, a professor of bioengineering and psychiatry at Stanford University, has been awarded one-third of the 2026 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. He was recognized for discoveries involving light-controlled ion channels and optogenetics.
Deisseroth’s laboratory published a landmark scientific paper in the field in 2005. Optogenetics has since helped researchers identify neural circuits that regulate pain, thirst, reward and attention. Deisseroth told “Scientific American” that he was about to fall asleep when the call came during the night.
German scientist Peter Hegemann is sharing the prize for his research into how algae sense light. Together with Georg Nagel, he studied how a swimming alga detects light through an eyespot and contributed to the discovery of channelrhodopsin, a protein used as a molecular switch in nerve cells.
Researchers use the protein in laboratories to reactivate memories, evoke sensations and influence behavior, as well as to investigate neurons associated with psychiatric and neurological disorders.
Georg Nagel, another co-discoverer of channelrhodopsin, completes the trio. The prize money will be divided equally among the laureates. A Nobel official said all three winners had expressed happiness at sharing the award and called one another friends.
The work builds on an idea proposed by Francis Crick, who received a Nobel Prize in 1962. Crick suggested that light could be used to control specific cells.
Prize amount and Peace Prize nominees
The Nobel Foundation has raised the prize money for a full award to 12 million Swedish kronor, or $1.2 million, up from 11 million kronor in 2025. Each of the three medicine laureates will receive about $400,000. The winners will also receive medals and diplomas; the ceremony will take place in Stockholm on Dec. 10.
The Norwegian Nobel Committee received 287 nominations for this year’s Peace Prize. Of these, 208 were individuals and 79 were organizations. The total number of nominees last year was 338: 244 individuals and 94 organizations.
The Peace Prize winner will be announced on Friday, Oct. 9. The Nobel season will conclude on Oct. 12 with the announcement of the economics prize.
