India, Oct. 21 -- Asymmetric synthesis is a mature field in the construction of small to complex organic molecules. Why, then, was the 2026 Nobel Prize in Chemistry awarded to Henri B. Kagan and Kenso Soai for their discoveries regarding non-linear effects and asymmetric autocatalysis? How does it bring a fresh perspective to asymmetric synthesis and boost innovation in pharma industries?

Their discovery stems from nature's unmatched selectivity, observed in amino acids, carbohydrates, and complex natural products. For example, while the anticancer agent Taxol and the complex alkaloid strychnine mathematically possess 2,048 and 64 theoretical stereoisomers, nature exclusively synthesizes a single enantiomer without using complex transiti...