Nobel Prize in chemistry awarded for research solving 'mirror image' mystery
Also reported by BBC World
Summary
Henri B. Kagan and Kenso Soai won the 2026 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for their work on mirror-image molecules, which are chemicals that come in left- and right-handed forms. Their discoveries help scientists make specific versions of molecules, important in designing better medicines.Key Facts
- Mirror-image molecules look alike but are not identical, like left and right hands.
- One version of a molecule can have a different smell or effect than its mirror image.
- Kagan and Soai developed ways to control chemical reactions to produce the desired mirror-image molecule.
- This control is important for creating drugs that have the correct effect and fewer side effects.
- Kagan is 95 years old and works at Université Paris-Sud in France.
- Soai is affiliated with Tokyo University of Science in Japan.
- The Nobel Prize awards 12 million Swedish kronor (about $1.2 million) for this chemistry prize.
- Their work has changed how scientists understand and use molecular "chirality," or handedness.
