Nobel medicine prize goes to three scientists

The Nobel Prize in Medicine was awarded on Monday to Karl Deisseroth, Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel for their research into light-gated ion channels and optogenetics.

The award was announced at Stockholm’s Karolinska Institute, marking the start of this year’s Nobel Prize announcements.

The Nobel committee honoured the three scientists for discoveries that led to optogenetics, a technique that enables researchers to switch the activity of individual nerve cells in a living brain on or off.

The committee said the method is now being used in laboratories around the world to help scientists understand the brain.

The prize carries a cash award of 12 million Swedish kronor, or about $1.2 million.

Last year, the medicine prize was awarded to Mary E. Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell and Dr Shimon Sakaguchi for discoveries about how the immune system distinguishes harmful germs from the body’s own cells.

Their research uncovered a key mechanism known as peripheral immune tolerance, which helps keep the immune system in check.

The medicine prize will be followed by the physics award on Tuesday, chemistry on Wednesday and literature on Thursday.

The Nobel Peace Prize will be announced on Friday, while the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences is scheduled to be announced on October 12.

Last year’s Nobel Prize in Medicine was awarded to Mary E. Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell and Dr Shimon Sakaguchi for discoveries on how the immune system distinguishes harmful germs from the body’s own cells.

Their work identified a key mechanism known as peripheral immune tolerance, which helps keep the immune system under control.

Experts said the findings were important for understanding autoimmune diseases including Type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis and lupus.

This year’s prize money is 12 million Swedish kronor, or about $1.2 million, whether the award goes to an individual, a small group of laureates or an organisation.