US psychiatrist and neurologist Karl Deisseroth and his German colleagues Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel have been awarded this year's Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their work in the field of optogenetics.
Their pioneering research has enabled scientists to control neuronal activity with light, revealing how discrete neural pathways give rise to memories, emotions and behaviours that underpin many psychiatric and neurological conditions.
The Nobel Committee praised the trio for laying the groundwork for a new era in neuroscience and for uncovering the neural circuits behind "specific memories, feelings and behaviours relevant for neurological and psychiatric disorders".
In clinical practice, optogenetics is already being tested as a promising strategy to restore vision in patients with visual impairments, offering hope for treatments that once seemed impossible.
