The research duo was honored for work that helped unravel a major chemistry mystery: why many molecules exist in two mirror-image forms, yet living organisms predominantly use only one, a phenomenon known as chirality or homochirality.
Kagan and Soai's investigations provided insight into how a small initial difference between the two molecular forms can be amplified, favoring one. This knowledge is particularly vital in drug synthesis, where the two forms of a molecule can have vastly different effects on the body.
“"There are very specific situations where this difference could cause problems, especially when we are developing new drugs."
Researcher Vasco Cachatra from the Faculty of Sciences at the University of Lisbon explained to Rádio Renascença that two seemingly identical molecules can exhibit very different properties. He cited the example of thalidomide, where one compound had a sedative effect while the other caused severe birth defects, underscoring the importance of developing methods to selectively obtain a single compound.
This same characteristic of chirality can be observed in everyday examples, such as citrus aromas. Cachatra noted that, despite sharing the same compound, the two molecular forms can produce distinct scents, one like orange and the other like lemon.
In this context, the researcher framed the Nobel Prize-winning work, highlighting that Kagan and Soai arrived at similar conclusions through different methodologies and compounds, but with the same ultimate goal.
