STOCKHOLM, Oct 5 — The Nobel medicine prize was awarded Monday to US psychiatrist and neurologist Karl Deisseroth and German scientists Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel for their pioneering work in the field of optogenetics.
Optogenetics involves controlling nerve signals with light, and helps researchers understand how specific cell types contribute to behaviours like learning, fear, addiction and movement.
The trio were honoured “for their discovery of a molecular switch for nerve cells”, the Nobel Assembly said.
Using light, researchers are now able to switch individual neural circuits on or off in a brain.
They have been able to reveal neural circuits governing specific memories, feelings, and behaviours relevant for neurological and psychiatric disorders.
