Share to ClassroomScientists Win Nobel for Mirror Chemistry
Two scientists won the 2026 Nobel Prize in Chemistry on Wednesday. Henri Kagan is from France, and Kenso Soai is from Japan. They studied molecules that come in two mirror forms. Soai is 76. He said it was one of the most exciting days of his life.
Many molecules have two forms, like your left hand and your right hand. Living things use almost only one form. But in a lab, chemists usually get half of each form. This is very important for medicines. One form can help people, but the other form can be dangerous. In the 1950s and 1960s, a drug called thalidomide hurt thousands of babies.
Kagan and Soai found ways to make much more of one form. In 2003, Soai made a reaction that gave almost only one form. The Nobel team says only life itself did this before. Today, their work helps chemists make medicines.
