Nobel Prize snubs: The overlooked research associates behind scientific breakthroughs

The 2026 Nobel Prize in Medicine was awarded for optogenetics research, with the contributions of former PhD student Suneel Kateriya, now a professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University, cited as significant but not recognized by the prize. Kateriya identified two novel genes in Chlamydomonas algae that led to the discovery of channelrhodopsin proteins, which were confirmed by co-laureate Georg Nagel and later applied by Karl Deisseroth. The Nobel Committee cited papers co-authored by Kateriya, who expressed satisfaction that the work has therapeutic applications, including partially restoring sight in a patient. Historical precedents show similar omissions, such as Charles Best in the 1923 insulin prize and Jocelyn Bell Burnell in the 1977 physics prize for pulsars. A 2014 study suggests the scientific community tends to credit established scientists over junior collaborators, which may explain why Kateriya was not included.