# Controlling the brain with light earns a physiology Nobel

https://mins.news/en/item/86941

- Ars Technica, 2026-10-05 17:59 UTC
- Science
- Original: https://arstechnica.com/science/2026/10/controlling-the-brain-with-light-earns-a-physiology-nobel/

> Karl Deisseroth, Peter Hegemann, and Georg Nagel won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for developing optogenetics. The field grew from studies of light-attracted single-celled algae and uses light to alter the behavior of nerve cells identified by individual gene activity, enabling researchers to activate or shut down neurons in an otherwise intact brain.

## Related coverage

- [Nobel medicine prize honours three scientists for breakthrough in optogenetics](https://mins.news/en/video/87092) — Al Jazeera English, 2026-10-05
- [Switching on brain cells: the Nobel-winning science of optogenetics](https://mins.news/en/item/87126) — France 24, 2026-10-05
- [Nobel Prize awarded for showing how nerve cells shape feelings](https://mins.news/en/item/86228) — BBC News, 2026-10-05