A life in context
The person behind the prize
Kagan completed his doctorate in 1960 and became a professor at Université Paris-Sud. His research explored how catalysts favour one of two mirror-image molecular forms.
The contribution
His work on nonlinear effects showed that the product’s imbalance between mirror forms could exceed that of the catalyst.
The idea in plain language
Some molecules come in forms like left and right hands: the same parts, arranged as mirror images. Their interactions with living systems can differ.
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