10/12/2026
https://youtu.be/SG8RVXe_sWA?si=wAXfETvEJwWhoVkk
STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - French chemist Henri Kagan and Japanese scientist Kenso Soai were awarded the 2026 Nobel Prize in Chemistry on Wednesday (October 7) for solving a long-standing riddle of asymmetric "mirror image" molecules, a discovery of paramount importance for pharmaceutical manufacturing and the understanding of the origin of life. The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences recognized Kagan, 95, and Soai, 76, for discovering non-linear effects and autocatalysis in asymmetric organic synthesis, unlocking how single hand-forms of chiral molecules spontaneously emerge and amplify. Speaking to the press conference live from Japan, Soai called the award one of the most exciting days of his life, while committee experts noted the breakthrough drastically improves industrial drug synthesis and offers profound insight into evolutionary molecular biology.
STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - French chemist Henri Kagan and Japanese scien...