Chemistry Nobel awarded for solving mystery of life's asymmetry

The Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to French chemist Henri B. Kagan and Japanese scientist Kenso Soai for their pioneering work that solved the puzzle of molecular asymmetry, a key feature of biological molecules.

Both scientists showed how life has come to favor one mirror‑image form, or chirality, of molecules such as amino acids, revealing why only one version is used in nature.

Their research, which combined experimental procedures with theoretical insight, demonstrated a way to generate a single enantiomer from a symmetrical starting material.

This breakthrough resolves a question that has intrigued scientists for decades and opens new avenues for synthetic chemistry and drug development.

The Nobel Committee praised the work as a landmark achievement that deepens our understanding of the origin of molecular life.