Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for discoveries in optogenetics: Bayreuth researcher honours long-standing colleague

The award has been received with particular delight at the University of Bayreuth: Professor Andreas Möglich from the Faculty of Biology, Chemistry and Earth Sciences has known the Nobel laureate for many years. Peter Hegemann was already his professor whilst he was a student at the University of Regensburg. Later, the two worked together as colleagues in Berlin, most recently in 2016. Since moving to Bayreuth in 2015, Möglich has continued to maintain a scientific exchange with Hegemann, who gave a lecture at the University of Bayreuth as recently as last summer term at the university’s invitation.

Another long-standing link with the University of Bayreuth exists in the field of physics, specifically with the Chair of Experimental Physics V held by Professor Oliver Bäumchen. Oliver Bäumchen’s team is currently collaborating closely with Professor Hegemann to investigate how the cilia of the green alga Chlamydomonas can use light to switch their adhesion to surfaces. Photoreceptors are also responsible for this effect; these are specifically knocked out in cell lines by Peter Hegemann’s team using genetic engineering and are then studied in Bayreuth. This collaboration has so far resulted in two joint publications in recent years, and further scientific studies are currently in progress.

t the heart of this award-winning research lies the question of how organisms perceive light and respond to it. Hegemann and his colleagues made a decisive contribution to elucidating the mechanisms by which green algae process light signals. In doing so, they identified the protein channelrhodopsin as a key component. This protein functions not only as a light sensor but also as an ion channel that triggers specific cellular responses. This discovery laid the foundations for optogenetics. By introducing the relevant genetic information into nerve cells, these can be selectively activated or deactivated using light. This enables researchers to study neural processes with far greater precision than is possible with conventional electrical stimulation methods. In recent years, the method has become an indispensable tool in neuroscientific research.

The Nobel Prize thus not only highlights the importance of fundamental research, but also draws attention to scientific links that continue to this day with the University of Bayreuth. It demonstrates how long-term collaboration and scientific exchange across institutional boundaries drive progress in the life sciences. For Prof. Möglich, this is also a source of personal joy:  “The award presented to Peter Hegemann recognises a discovery that was driven by curiosity and stems from basic research, the immense value and significance of which is, unfortunately, often overlooked. Although its impact was not immediately apparent, this discovery has fundamentally transformed our understanding of nervous systems. For me personally, it is particularly gratifying that Peter Hegemann has guided my education and scientific career as a mentor, and that we have now had the privilege of collaborating with him scientifically for many years.”