The Right Chemistry (for the Nobel)
This post guesses at some names for the 2026 Chemistry Nobel prize, which will be awarded on Wednesday October 7 this coming week. For speculation regarding the physics Nobel, please see last week's post.
One might ask how I - being a physicist - am qualified to pronounce on chemistry. Actually, I have always been fascinated by chemistry, though I was not handy enough to play with chemistry sets when I was in school. In fact I remember one day in the lab, in the process of uncorking a particularly tight cap on a bottle of (thankfully dilute) nitric acid, some of the chemical came out flying into my eyes and I was temporarily blinded for a few minutes.
Nonetheless, when I was preparing to take the entrance exam for engineering college, I really liked studying chemistry. Especially organic chemistry, which seemed to have its own elegant set of rules. These could be played with to synthesize various compounds, all very interesting!
Many years later, in graduate school, I found myself responsible for an experiment whose aim was to form diatomic molecules, using lasers, from initially unlinked atoms. I had to read up on a lot of molecular physics, including spending quality time with the classic text in the field, Molecular Spectra and Molecular Structure by the 1971 Chemistry Nobel laureate, Gerhard Herzberg. The joke in the lab was that even a diatomic molecule had one atom too many for a physicist (because physicists like to simplify things as much as possible).
Finally, browsing around in my publication list, I discovered that I had once written a paper on benzene.
Enough said! Here is the list.
David R. Liu (Harvard University / Broad Institute): Liu developed techniques that allow scientists to change DNA sequences with high precision without cutting (unlike CRISPR) both strands of DNA. This research has transformed the life sciences and opened the door to programmable therapeutics addressing the root causes of thousands of genetic disorders (sickle cell disease, cystic fibrosis, Wilson's disease..). Liu has launched medical companies like Prime Medicine and Beam Therapeutics.
Harry B. Gray (California Institute of Technology): A pioneer in biological electron transfer as well as inorganic photochemistry. His research mapped long range electron tunnelling through protein structures. This foundational work has explained the chemistry behind fundamental life processes like respiration and photosynthesis, and bridged the gap between solid-state inorganic chemistry and living biological networks. His insights have profoundly influenced drug design (e.g. platinum-based cancer therapeutics; platinum binds to cancer cells) and the creation of bio-inspired solar energy storage materials.
Jacob Sagiv (Weizmann Institute of Science): Developed self-assembled monolayers (SAMs), demonstrating how molecules can spontaneously organize into perfectly uniform, single-layer sheets on surfaces, contributing greatly to the modern nanotechnology (nanolithography and electronic chip manufacturing) and surface science.
(Sir) Shankar Balasubramanian (University of Cambridge): Co-inventing next-generation DNA sequencing (NGS) millions of times faster than traditional (Sanger) sequencing. This innovation democratized genomics, reducing the cost of sequencing a human genome from millions of dollars to under $100, fundamentally changing modern medicine, pathogen tracking, and evolutionary biology.
Pieter Cullis (University of British Columbia): Heavily tipped for his creation of lipid nanoparticle (LNP) delivery systems. His research solved the critical challenge of safely enveloping and delivering fragile genetic material into cells, with microscopic fat bubbles protecting mRNA from being destroyed by the body's immune system before reaching its target. This chemistry directly enabled the rapid development and global success of mRNA vaccines. His delivery platform is now the cornerstone for next-generation genetic therapies and cancer vaccines.
Needless to say, these candidates have been recognized by various other prestigious prizes already - e.g. the Wolf Prize in chemistry, the Kavli Prize, the Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences, etc.
Afterword: Almost there - physics and chemistry Nobels will be awarded next week!
