00:01The 2026 Nobel Prize in Medicine has been awarded to U.S. psychiatrist and neurologist Karl Deseroth
00:07and his German colleagues Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel for their work on optogenetics.
00:15The technique allows researchers to use light to control specific nerve cells
00:19and study how they shape memories, feelings, and behavior in the living brain.
00:25The Nobel Assembly at Karolinska Institute said their discoveries had laid the foundations for a new era in neuroscience.
00:34Nobel Committee Chair Per Svenningsen said optogenetics offer opportunities to map the brain in ways scientists could only once dream
00:42of.
00:45Optogenetics is now being used in laboratories around the world and experts call the findings critical to understanding autoimmune diseases
00:53such as type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and lupus.
00:581.1 million euros in prize money will be shared between these three laureates
01:02and the award ceremony will take place on December 10th.
