German Researchers Win Nobel Prize for Optogenetics

The Nobel Prize in Medicine has been awarded to German researchers Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel, alongside US scientist Karl Deisseroth, for their discoveries in optogenetics, a technique combining genetic and optical methods to control nerve cells with light. Hegemann and Nagel identified the protein channelrhodopsin, which makes cells light-sensitive, while Deisseroth applied this gene to rat neurons, enabling precise activation of these cells. The laureates will share prize money of approximately one million euros. The award ceremony takes place December 10 in Stockholm. This year marks the 125th anniversary of the Nobel Prize, with the prize amount recently increased to twelve million Swedish kronor.