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- 2026 Nobel Prize: Discoveries of light-gated ion channels and optogenetics
Karl Deisseroth, Peter Hegemann, and Georg Nagel received the prize for discovering light-gated ion channels and optogenetics, enabling millisecond-scale neuronal control.
- Field
- the brain and neuroscience
- What they did
- Scientists developed a technology that allows controlling the activity of neurons using light by opening and closing ion channels that respond to it. This enables activating or silencing specific groups of brain cells with millisecond precision.
- Why it matters
- The ability to control neuronal activity in real time offers a unique opportunity to study how the brain works and may lead to new treatments for nervous system diseases.
#optogenetics#nobel prize#neurons#ion channels#brain mapping
