Life Is Asymmetric. The Scientists Who Figured Out Why Won the 2026 Nobel Prize in Chemistry
Fernanda GonzálezScienceOct 8, 2026 6:30 AMLife Is Asymmetric. One of the most mysterious chemical phenomena in biology is that living organisms contain almost exclusively one of the two forms. This is known as homochirality.Both versions of the molecules—each called an enantiomer—have similar physical properties but can behave differently.
- ▪Fernanda GonzálezScienceOct 8, 2026 6:30 AMLife Is Asymmetric.
- ▪One of the most mysterious chemical phenomena in biology is that living organisms contain almost exclusively one of the two forms.
- ▪This is known as homochirality.Both versions of the molecules—each called an enantiomer—have similar physical properties but can behave differently.
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| Publication time | Thu, 08 Oct 2026 10:30:00 +0000 |
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Fernanda GonzálezScienceOct 8, 2026 6:30 AMLife Is Asymmetric. The Scientists Who Figured Out Why Won the 2026 Nobel Prize in ChemistryHenri Kagan and Kensō Soai designed chemical reactions producing only one of the two mirror-image forms of a molecule—an important finding for the synthesis of pharmaceuticals and other biological substances.Nobel Committee for Chemistry chairman Heiner Linke explains the research that won the 2026 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.Photograph: Jonathan Nackstrand/Getty ImagesCommentLoaderSave StorySave this storyCommentLoaderSave StorySave this storyThe 2026 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to Henri Kagan and Kensō Soai for discovering a solution to the enigma of nature’s chemical asymmetry, a finding that opened up new avenues for manipulating the reactions…
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