Three scientists awarded the Nobel Prize for their research on the inner workings of the brain [SOUND]

# The 2026 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine has been awarded to three scientists: American Karl Deisseroth and his German colleagues Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel. This is for their discoveries concerning light-gated ion channels and optogenetics. The trio’s research led to the development of a light-sensitive switch that can be used to control nerve cells in the living brain, switching them on or off. Nobel Committee member professor Anna Wedell says this research provides a better understanding of the brain: