Nobel chemistry prize resolves life’s molecular handedness puzzle
The 2026 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to French chemist Henri B. Kagan and Japan’s Kenso Soai for answering a seventy‑year‑old mystery: why biological molecules are chiral.
Their research shows that chiral molecules—those that exist as two mirror‑image forms—are crucial for life’s building blocks, yet life uses only one form of each. They revealed a chemical pathway that explains why one enantiomer is preferred, shedding light on the very origins of life.
The breakthrough has far‑reaching implications for green chemistry, enabling the design of more selective, lower‑energy processes for producing pharmaceuticals, biofuels and other sustainable materials. By harnessing this knowledge, chemists can develop environmentally friendly catalysts that produce only the desired molecular hand.
Related topics: Science & Environment, Nobel Prize.
