Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2026 to Henri B. Kagan and Kenso Soai
Henri B. Kagan and Kenso Soai have been awarded the 2026 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for their discoveries regarding non-linear effects and autocatalysis in asymmetric organic synthesis. Their work explains how homochirality, a fundamental property of life, emerges in chemical reactions.
Why it matters
Their research solves a century-old mystery in chemistry, with significant implications for the development of pharmaceuticals and understanding the origins of life.
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The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has decided to award the Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2026 to
Henri B. Kagan Université Paris-Sud, France
Kenso Soai Tokyo University of Science, Japan
“for the discovery of non-linear effects and autocatalysis in asymmetric organic synthesis”
Some molecules, such as amino acids, exist as two variants that are each other’s mirror image. However, living organisms only contain one of these mirror images. How chemical asymmetry such as this could have emerged was long a mystery to chemists. Henri B. Kagan and Kenso Soai are awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2026 for discovering a solution to this puzzle.
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