Optogenetics, a technique that allows scientists to control specific nerve cells using light, has been awarded the 2026 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. Karl Deisseroth, Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel jointly received the prize for their discoveries concerning light-gated ion channels and optogenetics.
The breakthrough has transformed neuroscience by giving researchers a way to investigate how individual groups of nerve cells contribute to functions such as movement, memory, emotions and behaviour. Earlier methods could identify links between particular brain regions and functions, but often could not establish whether specific nerve cells directly caused a particular response.
The foundations of optogenetics came from the study of light-sensitive proteins in microorganisms. Hegemann and Nagel helped establish the properties of channelrhodopsins, light-sensitive proteins that can control the movement of ions across cell membranes. Deisseroth and his collaborators then demonstrated how these proteins could be used to control nerve-cell activity with pulses of light.
In optogenetics experiments, researchers introduce genes for light-sensitive proteins into selected neurons. Light can then be delivered to those cells, allowing their activity to be switched on or off with high precision. This makes it possible to test cause-and-effect relationships within neural circuits rather than simply observing correlations.
The technique has become an important tool for studying the biological mechanisms underlying brain function and neurological and psychiatric disorders. It is also being explored in medical research, including approaches aimed at restoring vision in some retinal conditions.

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