The Nobel Assembly at Karolinska Institute said the three scientists were honored for discoveries that laid the foundation for optogenetics, a method that allows nerve activity to be controlled using light, according to a statement.
Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel discovered a remarkable protein, channelrhodopsin, in a single-celled alga while Karl Deisseroth transformed the protein into a light-controlled switch for nerve cells. The Laureates have laid the foundation of a new era in neuroscience. How the brain governs feelings, behaviors, and bodily functions has long been a mystery.
“Optogenetics provides opportunities for mapping the brain in a way that we could once only dream of,” said Per Svenningsson, Chair of the Nobel Committee for Physiology or Medicine.
Following the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, the prizes in Physics, Chemistry, Literature, Peace, and Economic Sciences will be announced between October 6 and 12.
