Kenso Soai, 76, of the Tokyo University of Science, has been awarded the 2026 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, announced on 7 October in Stockholm by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. He shares the award with Frenchman Henri B. Kagan, 95, of Paris-Sud University in Orsay.
Many molecules exist in two versions that are mirror images of each other, like a pair of hands. In the 1980s, Kagan showed that it was possible to design reactions that favoured one of these versions. Soai then refined the process and created the first reaction capable of efficiently producing just one of the images, now known as the Soai reaction.
Choosing the right version is crucial in drug design, because the two forms can act differently in the body. The president of the American Chemical Society, Rigoberto Hernandez, said today’s medicines would not be possible without this chemistry, and a member of the Nobel committee described Soai’s work as probably the most interesting experiment in organic chemistry.
Reacting to the award, Soai said it was one of the most exciting days of his life. The prize is worth 12 million Swedish kronor, to be shared between the laureates.
