Tokyo, Oct. 8 (Jiji Press)–Kenso Soai, a 76-year-old Japanese researcher, won the 2026 Nobel Prize in Chemistry after spending day after day immersing himself in painstaking experimentation without complaint. What is important in research is “to keep on conducting experiments,” Soai said at a press conference Wednesday after the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced its decision to confer this year’s chemistry Nobel on Soai and French chemist Henri Kagan for “the discovery of non-linear effects and autocatalysis in asymmetric organic synthesis.” Molecules that comprise life exist as two forms that are each other’s mirror image, but biomolecules on Earth consist of one of those forms. Finding that fact to be “very wondrous,” Soai, now professor emeritus at Tokyo University of Science, began his quest to understand the mechanism. In 1995, he discovered a catalytic reaction in which only one of the two possible mirror images was formed. Reproducing the reaction seen in nature was a breakthrough. Soai had a rough road in his research. He said creating a target organic compound was like “climbing a mountain to reach it.” In contrast, he recalled his research as “not knowing if there even was a mountain. It felt like walking in the dark with a headlamp on, following the ground.” Still, Soai said, “I don’t remember at all, or don’t care about what I found difficult in my research.” He kept making his way forward one step at a time while enjoying the findings that he made in each experiment. He made the initial breakthrough that led to his discovery of asymmetric autocatalysis in 1990. Although the experiment produced only a small amount of the desired substance, he found the results “extremely interesting” and continued his research. Students at Hiroshima University High School, which Soai graduated from, rejoiced on Thursday to hear the news of his winning of the prize. Saki Maruyama, 16, who plans to study chemistry at a university, said the news was “encouraging.” She said, “I will work hard to make a comparable achievement.” Yui Miyake, 15, said: “The news made me believe that efforts can bear fruit. I also want to conduct scientific research at a university.” Hajime Matsuda, the owner of the Hiroshima Toyo Carp professional baseball team who is a former classmate of Soai at the high school, said that Soai was serious about club activities and school events. “He was the type of person who worked steadily, but not a nerd.” Hiroshima Governor Mika Yokota, a graduate of the high school, said in a statement on Wednesday, “I express my heartfelt respect for the accomplishments that he has achieved so far.” Researchers in the same field as Soai also celebrated his winning of the Nobel. Describing his research area as “very unique,” Takeyuki Suzuki, associate professor at the University of Osaka’s Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research, said, “He is one of researchers I respect the most.” Michinori Suginome, professor at Kyoto University’s Department of Chemical Science and Engineering, said Soai’s accomplishment was “extremely important in that it inspires science as a whole.” END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
