Scientists win chemistry Nobel for discoveries about mirrored molecules that led to many drugs

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1. 1h ago

   Henri Kagan and Kenso Soai Win 2026 Chemistry Nobel

   Scientists Henri B. Kagan and Kenso Soai have won the 2026 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for their groundbreaking work on chiral chemistry and mirror-image molecules. The prize honors their discoveries in untangling mysterious mirror images in molecules, addressing a fundamental property of life's asymmetry. Their breakthroughs have enabled chemists to make either helpful or harmful mirror chemical structures on demand, leading to the development of countless pharmaceutical drugs where a molecule handedness determines its effectiveness.

   Why it matters

   Many drugs and biological molecules possess mirror chemical structures, where one version helps patients and the other can prove harmful. Solving the mystery of how to control this molecular handedness allows scientists to manufacture specific forms on demand. The 2026 prize highlights decades of foundational research in chemical asymmetry by the French and Japanese scientists.

   What is confirmed

   • Henri B. Kagan and Kenso Soai won the 2026 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for work on mirror-image molecules.
   • Henri B. Kagan is a French scientist.
   • The discovery has been used to develop countless drugs by allowing chemists to make specific mirror chemical structures on demand.

   What to watch next

   • Official Nobel lecture presentations by the laureates in Stockholm
   • Further academic and industry analysis on chiral drug manufacturing applications
   Sources used for this update (21)

   1. The New York Times — Nobel Prize in Chemistry Is Awarded to Henri Kagan and Kenso Soai
   2. The Guardian — Nobel prize in chemistry awarded for work on mirror-image molecules
   3. Reuters — Nobel chemistry prize goes to pair who solved mystery of 'mirror image' molecules
   4. Chemical & Engineering News — Chemistry Nobel awarded for chiral chemistry advances
   5. AP News — Nobel Prize in chemistry awarded to Kagan and Soai for untangling mirror images in molecules
   6. NobelPrize.org — They made chemistry choose a mirror image
   7. The Economist — A Nobel for illuminating life’s asymmetry
   8. Chemistry World — Explainer: what are autocatalysis and non-linear effects and why have they won the 2026 Nobel prize in chemistry?
   9. NPR — Henri B. Kagan and Kenso Soai win Nobel Prize in chemistry
   10. Houston Public Media — This Rice University professor has helped pick more than a dozen Nobel Prize winners
   11. NobelPrize.org — Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2026 - Prize announcement
   12. WIRED — Life Is Asymmetric. The Scientists Who Figured Out Why Won the 2026 Nobel Prize in Chemistry
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