DNA rewriting technology or the mechanism of sleep - Fields of interest before the announcement of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry

Nobel Chemistry Prize for the "Mystery of Sleep"? Focus on Masashi Yanagisawa's Research and Gene Editing

Unable to sleep at night. Overwhelmed by drowsiness during the day despite wanting to stay awake. Research related to these common and pressing issues has emerged in predictions for the Nobel Chemistry Prize.

An article by AFP, published on October 6, 2026, by the French media "France-Antilles," highlighted gene editing, the regulation of sleep and wakefulness, research leading to obesity treatment, and solar cells as notable fields for the Chemistry Prize.

What catches the attention of Japanese readers is the name of Masashi Yanagisawa from the University of Tsukuba. Why is research that has unraveled the mechanisms of sleep included in predictions for the "Chemistry" prize? This reflects how modern chemistry is deeply intertwined with life and medicine.

The announcement is scheduled for after 6:45 PM Japan time on October 7. As of the time this article is being written, the winners have not yet been announced.

"Strong Candidates" Are Not Announced by the Nobel Committee

First, it is important to note that the "candidates" introduced in reports are different from the actual selection targets.

For the Nobel Prize, information regarding recommendations and selections is not disclosed for 50 years as a rule. The list of strong candidates that appears annually is a prediction by researchers, science journalists, and institutions analyzing citation trends of papers.

Clarivate's "Citation Laureates" also serve as a clue to understand the influence of research, but it is not the official final candidate list for the Nobel Prize.

Nonetheless, there is value in reading these predictions. They serve as an entry point to understanding which discoveries have changed the way research is conducted and brought new options to society.

Yanagisawa's Research—Not a "Sleep-Inducing Substance," but a Mechanism Supporting Wakefulness

The original article highlights Yanagisawa and Emmanuel Mignot from Stanford University as notable figures in sleep research.

The key is "orexin."

When hearing about substances related to sleep, one might easily imagine something that induces drowsiness. However, the important function of orexin is to maintain the state of being awake. It is a neuropeptide that transmits information in the brain, and simply perceiving it as a "sleep-inducing hormone" would misinterpret its role.

Yanagisawa and his team's research led to the discovery of this substance and an understanding of the pathology of narcolepsy. Narcolepsy is a sleep disorder characterized by strong daytime drowsiness, and there is a type related to orexin deficiency.

The significance of this discovery lies in explaining sleep problems from the perspective of molecular function and indicating targets for treatment.

Suppressing the wakefulness function of orexin leads to insomnia treatment. On the other hand, supplementing its function is crucial for considering narcolepsy treatment. It is an idea of utilizing the same mechanism from different angles.

Yanagisawa and Mignot jointly received the 2023 Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences for this research.

In response to the question "What can be learned from studying sleep?" they have provided answers in both understanding pathology and drug discovery. This accumulation is behind the international attention.

Focus Also on DNA "Rewriting" Technology

Another major focus is the gene editing research by David Liu and others.

DNA information is recorded by the sequence of components called bases. "Base editing," pioneered by Liu's laboratory, is a technology that targets and converts specific bases into others.

Furthermore, "prime editing" accommodates not only sequence replacement but also small insertions and deletions. Both have developed as precise editing technologies that do not necessarily require cutting the DNA double strand.

In terms of text, it is akin to correcting specific letters or rewriting short phrases. However, human cells are not as simple as text files.

Can the editing apparatus be delivered to the targeted cells? Can the intended changes occur at a sufficient rate? Can unwanted changes be suppressed? To use it as a treatment, these issues need to be verified one by one.

Nevertheless, the significance of broadening the path to correcting genetic changes related to diseases is immense. The expectations introduced in the original article are not about "curing all genetic diseases," but rather about the significant progress of tools for designing treatments.

Behind Obesity Treatment, Years of Basic Research

The original article also touches on research related to appetite and metabolism. Names mentioned include Daniel Drucker, Jens Juul Holst, and Svetlana Moisoff.

The GLP-1-related treatments that have gained attention in recent years did not emerge suddenly. The accumulation of research on how peptides work in the body and which forms have physiological activity has led to drug development.

In Japan, discussions in this field tend to focus on headlines like "weight-loss drugs." However, through the lens of prize predictions, it is important to see not just the product's popularity but the process of how research understanding the body's mechanisms has led to treatments.

Moreover, when considering the social value of drugs, it is essential to consider not only their effectiveness but also whether those who need them can access them. This is a common question for advanced medical treatments like gene therapy.

Research on Solar Cells and Surfaces Also Highlight the Breadth of the Chemistry Prize

Medical and life sciences are not the only focus areas.

The original article also mentions Michael Grätzel for his research on solar cells. The dye-sensitized solar cells developed by Grätzel and others absorb light with dyes and convert it into electricity.

Additionally, the research on "self-assembled monolayers" by David Allara, Ralph Nuzzo, and Jacob Sagiv is introduced. This field utilizes the phenomenon of molecules lining up on surfaces to form thin layers, controlling the properties of surfaces.

Molecules that support sleep, reactions that rewrite DNA, materials that capture light, and molecules that line surfaces. Even seemingly disparate research shares the commonality of understanding and utilizing molecular structures and functions.

The appearance of sleep and gene research in chemistry prize predictions is due to significant discoveries at these boundaries. However, which research will be recognized with which prize remains unknown until the announcement.

Debate on "Medical Influence" and "Value of Basic Research" on Social Media

So, what reactions are emerging on social media?

View Posts on Reddit

On the overseas bulletin board-style social media "Reddit," multiple threads predicting the 2026 Chemistry Prize have been created, not only listing research fields but also engaging in discussions on "what constitutes a significant contribution."

In the chemistry community, there are opinions hoping for attention on fundamental methods in organic chemistry and long-awaited physical chemistry research. Posts also advocate for foundational technologies like nucleic acid synthesis, which have enabled many subsequent studies.

Behind noticeable applied outcomes, there is chemistry that made experiments and development possible. This perspective seeks recognition for those achievements as well.

Meanwhile, in biochemistry prediction threads, opinions were divided regarding GLP-1-related drugs. Some posts appreciated the significant impact on health, while others raised issues about continuous use and regional and economic disparities in treatment access.

These are not direct comments on the original article but separate discussions about the chemistry prize of the same year. Additionally, even opinions confirmed for the poster's expertise do not represent the entire public opinion.

Nonetheless, they serve as material to understand how scientific news is perceived. Not only the novelty of discoveries but also "how much they have benefited other research" and "how they reach people's lives" are subjects of interest.

From Japan, We Want to See the Accumulation of Research Beyond the Awards

It is natural to hope for Japanese researchers to win awards. However, it would be a waste to consume the mention of Yanagisawa's name solely for the possibility of winning.

Research that understands sleep from a molecular level has led to explanations of diseases and ideas for treatments. Gene editing and solar cells also start with specific questions and diligent experiments.

For Japan, this prediction article serves as an opportunity to consider how to support such research and connect it to the next discovery. Even questions without immediate applications can later change medical and industrial options.

The announcement will reveal the research and researchers chosen this year. The value of fields not selected is not lost.

While waiting to hear whose name will be called, we should also focus on "what has become known through that discovery." The Nobel Chemistry Prize, which may seem distant, is connected to technologies that support our sleep, health, and daily lives.

Sources and References

1. France-Antilles/AFP: Report dated October 6, 2026. Introduces predictions for awards in gene editing, sleep research, obesity treatment, solar cells, etc.
   https://www.martinique.franceantilles.fr/actualite/international/la-therapie-genique-ou-les-hormones-du-sommeil-nobel-de-chimie-mercredi-1095363.php

2. Nobel Prize Official: 2026 announcement schedule. Chemistry Prize after 11:45 AM (Central European Summer Time) on October 7.
   https://www.nobelprize.org/press-release/the-2026-nobel-prize-announcements/nobelprize.org

3. Nobel Prize Official: 50-year non-disclosure principle for recommendation and selection information.
   https://www.nobelprize.org/nomination/chemistry/NobelPrize.org

4. University of Tsukuba, International Institute for Integrative Sleep Medicine: Yanagisawa and Mignot's Breakthrough Prize win, significance of orexin research.
   https://wpi-iiis.tsukuba.ac.jp/japanese/news/3044/IIIS University of Tsukuba International Institute for Integrative Sleep Medicine

5. University of Tsukuba: Yanagisawa's research achievements. Explanation of wakefulness maintenance, narcolepsy, and drug discovery targeting orexin.
   https://www.tsukuba.ac.jp/journal/awards/pdf/Nobel-Prize-2025-jp.pdftsukuba.ac.jp

6. Broad Institute: Mechanism and significance of base editing and prime editing.
   https://www.broadinstitute.org/videos/base-editing-and-prime-editing-precise-chemistry-genome-without-double-strand-dna-breaksBroad Institute

7. Lasker Foundation: Basic research leading to the development of GLP-1-related treatments and contributions of researchers.
   https://laskerfoundation.org/winners/glp-1-based-therapy-for-obesity/Lasker Foundation

8. Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne: Principles and research areas of dye-sensitized solar cells.
   https://www.epfl.ch/labs/lpi/research/dye-sensitised-solar-cells/epfl.ch

9. Reddit・r/chemistry: Predictions for the 2026 Chemistry Prize. Posts advocating for the evaluation of basic chemistry and supporting technologies.
   https://www.reddit.com/r/chemistry/comments/1w1c95c/any_predictions_for_the_2026_nobel/reddit.com

10. Reddit・r/Biochemistry: Predictions for the 2026 Chemistry Prize. Posts discussing the influence of GLP-1-related drugs and access to treatment.
    https://www.reddit.com/r/Biochemistry/comments/1wt3u4l/predictions_for_the_chemistry_nobel_2026/