Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine Awarded for Optogenetics Breakthrough

Three scientists, Karl Deisseroth, Peter Hegemann, and Georg Nagel, have been awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their development of optogenetics. This technique allows researchers to activate and shut down specific neurons in an intact brain using light. The breakthrough was made possible by studying single-celled algae that are attracted to light, which led to the creation of a field of study focused on using light to alter nerve cell behavior.