Before Computer Science Became a Boys' Club, Margaret Hamilton Wrote the Code
The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and 10 more
Nobel Prize in Chemistry Is Awarded to Henri Kagan and Kenso Soai
- Henri B. Kagan
- Japan
- France
- Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
- Stockholm
- Sweden
- Alfred Nobel
- Tokyo
What happened
French chemist Henri B. Kagan, 95, and Japanese chemist Kenso Soai, 76, won the 2026 Nobel Prize in Chemistry on Wednesday. They found ways to steer chemical reactions toward one of a molecule's two mirror-image forms, chemistry that experts say underpins many modern medicines. The two will split 12 million Swedish kronor, about $1.2 million.
Summary
Two scientists whose work shaped how medicines are made have won this year's Nobel Prize in Chemistry. The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences honored Henri B. Kagan, 95, of Université Paris-Sud in Orsay, France, and Kenso Soai, 76, of the Tokyo University of Science, "for the discovery of non-linear effects and autocatalysis in asymmetric organic synthesis". In plain terms, they found ways to make reactions favor one mirror-image version of a molecule. Rigoberto Hernandez, president of the American Chemical Society, said "The medicines we have today would not be possible without this chemistry". The pair will share 12 million Swedish kronor, about $1.2 million. [1] [2] [3] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [12]
Many molecules come in two forms that look alike but are not identical, like your left and right hands. Chemists call them chiral, from the Greek word for hand. The two versions can behave differently. One form of carvone smells like mint, the other like caraway. Drug designers want the form that eases a cold, not one that worsens it. In the 1980s, Kagan showed that reactions could yield more of one form than chemists had thought possible. Soai later designed the first reaction that made only one form, now called the Soai reaction. The Hill dates that achievement to 2003. [2] [3] [8] [11] [12]
Soai was out shopping near his home when the Nobel committee reached him. Speaking by phone, he called it "Of course, this is one of the most exciting days in my life" in his remarks to the committee and journalists. French President Emmanuel Macron called Kagan's prize "an immense source of pride for the country" and the French Academy of Sciences, where Kagan is a member, congratulated him. The laureates will receive their medals in Stockholm. The sources give different dates for that ceremony: USA Today says December 10, while Forbes says December 19. Both outlets describe the date as the anniversary of Alfred Nobel's death. [2] [3] [8]
Summary written by Vox Populi News from the 12 sources below. See all sources
Key questions
What is the Soai reaction?
It is the first chemical reaction to efficiently produce only one of a molecule's two mirror-image forms. Peter Somfai of the Nobel Committee for Chemistry called it "probably the coolest experiment in organic chemistry" when the prize was announced. [8] [11] [12]
Why does this chemistry matter for medicine?
The two mirror-image forms of a molecule can act differently in the body, so drugmakers need to produce the right one. Somfai said it is hard to tie the work to any single drug, but that it applies to "all of them" because chemists use it as a tool for developing catalysts. [8] [11] [12]
Sources 12
-
1The New York TimesRead on The New York Times (opens in a new tab)
Nobel Prize in Chemistry Is Awarded to Henri Kagan and Kenso Soai
Sign up for Science Times Get stories that capture the wonders of nature, the cosmos and the human body. Get it sent to your inbox.
-
2USA TodayRead on USA Today (opens in a new tab)
Nobel Prize in Chemistry awarded to Henri Kagan and Kenso Soai
STOCKHOLM - Scientists Henri Kagan and Kenso Soai won the 2026 Nobel Prize in Chemistry "for the discovery of non-linear effects and autocatalysis in asymmetric organic synthesis," the award-giving…
-
3ForbesRead on Forbes (opens in a new tab)
The 2026 Nobel Prize In Chemistry Is Awarded To Henri Kagan And Kenso Soai
The 2026 Nobel Prize in Chemistry has been awarded to Henri Karan and Kenso Soai for discovering non-linear effects and autocatalysis in asymmetric organic synthesis.
-
4NBC NewsRead on NBC News (opens in a new tab)
Nobel Prize in chemistry set to be awarded in Stockholm
Last year, three scientists won the Nobel Prize in chemistry for their development of new molecular structures that can trap vast quantities of gas inside.
-
5The Wall Street JournalRead on The Wall Street Journal (opens in a new tab)
Nobel Prize for Chemistry Awarded for Work on Asymmetric Synthesis
Henri Kagan and Kenso Soai were awarded the 2026 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for breakthroughs within asymmetric synthesis that have greatly advanced the development of modern pharmaceuticals.
-
6Bloomberg BusinessRead on Bloomberg Business (opens in a new tab)
Two Share Nobel Prize for Untangling Chemical Asymmetry
A French and a Japanese scientist were awarded the 2026 Nobel Prize in Chemistry "for the discovery of non-linear effects and autocatalysis in asymmetric organic synthesis." Henri B.
-
7HuffPostRead on HuffPost (opens in a new tab)
Henri B. Kagan And Kenso Soai Win Nobel Prize In Chemistry
"The chemical reactions they have developed are spectacular," Heiner Linke, chair of the Nobel Committee for Chemistry, said. STOCKHOLM (AP) -- Henri B.
-
8AP NEWSRead on AP NEWS (opens in a new tab)
Scientists win chemistry Nobel for discoveries about mirrored molecules that led to many drugs
STOCKHOLM (AP) -- Scientists Henri B. Kagan and Kenso Soai won the Nobel Prize in chemistry Wednesday for untangling mysterious mirror images in molecules, a discovery that has been used to develop…
-
9U.S. News & World ReportRead on U.S. News & World Report (opens in a new tab)
Kagan and Soai Win 2026 Nobel Chemistry Prize
STOCKHOLM, Oct 7 (Reuters) - Scientists Henri Kagan and Kenso Soai won the 2026 Nobel Prize in Chemistry "for the discovery of non-linear effects and autocatalysis in asymmetric organic…
-
10CNN InternationalRead on CNN International (opens in a new tab)
Henri Kagan and Kenso Soai awarded the Nobel Prize in chemistry for unraveling mystery of asymmetric chemistry
The 2026 Nobel Prize in chemistry has been awarded to Henri B. Kagan and Kenso Soai for groundbreaking work in the field of asymmetric chemistry - unraveling the mystery of how molecules exist in…
-
11The HillRead on The Hill (opens in a new tab)
Nobel Prize in chemistry awarded to Kagan and Soai for research solving 'mirror image' mystery
STOCKHOLM (AP) -- Henri B. Kagan and Kenso Soai won the Nobel Prize in chemistry Wednesday for their efforts to resolve mysterious mirror images in chemical molecules.
-
12Los Angeles TimesRead on Los Angeles Times (opens in a new tab)
Nobel Prize in chemistry awarded to Kagan and Soai for untangling mirror images in molecules
The breakthrough underpins modern drug development, because mirror-image versions of the same molecule can behave differently in the body -- and can even produce different smells.
Related
Space station crew returns to Earth with perfect splashdown
Aol, New York Post and 10 more
Jonathan the Giant Tortoise Is 194 Years Old. He Just Had His Genome Sequenced.
The New York Times, Axios and 10 more
In Vienna and Beijing, the First Nuclear Clocks Begin to Tick
The New York Times, Fast Company and 6 more