Tech
Scientists Win Nobel Prize for 'Mirror-Image' Molecule Discovery
Researchers Henri Kagan and Kenso Soai have been honored for their work on how molecules can be twins but act differently.
A 3D model illustration showing two molecules that look like mirror images of each other.
By John Doe
Reporting from Sweden 
Oct. 9, 2026, 7:23 a.m. - 1 day, 15 hours ago
Some things in nature come in pairs that look exactly the same, but are actually opposites. Think of your left hand and your right hand. They look the same, but you can’t put a right-hand glove on your left hand.
In science, this is called 'chirality,' or 'handedness.' Molecules can be mirror images of each other just like your hands.
Scientists Henri Kagan and Kenso Soai just won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for their work on this topic. They figured out why these mirror-image molecules are so important.
This matters a lot for medicine. In the world of drugs, one 'hand' of a molecule might cure a disease, while the other 'hand' could be useless or even dangerous. Because of Kagan and Soai, scientists now understand much better how to build the right version of a molecule every time.
This discovery makes medicines safer and more effective for everyone. By learning how to control which 'hand' a molecule has, researchers can make sure the drugs you take at the pharmacy do exactly what they are supposed to do.
It is a big win for chemistry that will help doctors and patients for a long time to come.
Source: The Guardian
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