Nobel Prize in chemistry awarded to Henri Kagan and Kenso Soai

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1. 46m ago

   Henri Kagan and Kenso Soai Win 2026 Nobel Prize in Chemistry

   The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences awarded the 2026 Nobel Prize in Chemistry to Henri B. Kagan and Kenso Soai on October 7. The laureates were recognized for their discovery of non-linear effects and autocatalysis in asymmetric organic synthesis. Their research solved a long-standing mystery regarding mirror molecules and life's asymmetry. The Academy stated these discoveries are decisive for chemists designing reactions to manufacture pharmaceuticals, as they allow for the on-demand creation of specific mirror-image chemical structures.

   Why it matters

   Many drugs possess mirror chemical structures where one version is helpful and the other is harmful. This research explains how reactions can favor one mirror-image molecule over another. Henri Kagan is a 95-year-old French professor emeritus at Université Paris-Sud and a Holocaust survivor. Kenso Soai is a professor emeritus born in Hiroshima, Japan.

   What is confirmed

   • Henri B. Kagan and Kenso Soai were awarded the 2026 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
   • The prize recognizes the discovery of non-linear effects and autocatalysis in asymmetric organic synthesis.
   • The award was announced on Wednesday, October 7.
   • Henri Kagan is a professor emeritus at Université Paris-Sud in France.
   • Kenso Soai is a professor emeritus born in Hiroshima, Japan.
   • The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences described the discoveries as decisive for chemists designing pharmaceutical manufacturing reactions.

   Still unconfirmed

   • Henri Kagan is a Holocaust survivor.
   • The discovery allows chemists to make either helpful or harmful mirror structures on demand.

   What to watch next

   • Official acceptance speeches from Kagan and Soai
   • Further details on the specific pharmaceutical applications of their asymmetric catalysis research
   Sources used for this update (27)

   1. www.nytimes.com — The New York Times - Breaking News, US News, World News and Videos
   2. www.forbes.com — Download The Forbes App
   3. The Economist — A Nobel for illuminating life’s asymmetry
   4. Houston Public Media — This Rice University professor has helped pick more than a dozen Nobel Prize winners
   5. CNN — Henri Kagan and Kenso Soai awarded the Nobel Prize in chemistry for unraveling mystery of mirror molecules
   6. The Conversation — Many drugs have mirror chemical structures, one helpful and the other harmful – a Nobel-winning discovery allows chemists to make either on demand
   7. NBC News — Nobel Prize in chemistry awarded to Henri Kagan and Kenso Soai
   8. www.scientificamerican.com — 2026 Nobel Prize in Chemistry is awarded to Henri Kagan and ...
   9. www.sanjuandailystar.com — Nobel Prize in chemistry is awarded to Henri Kagan and Kenso Soai - The San Juan Daily Star
   10. www.nobelprize.org — Press release: Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2026 - NobelPrize.org
   11. cen.acs.org — 2026 Chemistry Nobel awarded for chiral chemistry advances
   12. www.nbcnews.com — Nobel Prize in chemistry awarded to Henri Kagan and Kenso Soai
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