Through the Looking Glass: From Molecules to Life

The 2026 Nobel Prize in Chemistry went to researchers Henri B. Kagan and Kenso Soai for their work in asymmetric organic synthesis.

Life is built from molecules, yet living systems exhibit a remarkable preference for one molecular handedness over its mirror image. How did this asymmetry emerge, and how did it become embedded in the chemistry of life?

Join Sankaranarayanan Rajan for a lecture exploring the fascinating interface between chemistry and biology, tracing the connections between molecular chirality, the origins of life, and the evolution of biological systems. Drawing on insights from Nobel Prize-winning discoveries in chemistry and contemporary research, he will examine how nature achieves molecular selectivity and fidelity through mechanisms that distinguish between seemingly similar molecular alternatives. The lecture will offer a glimpse into the fundamental principles that underpin life's molecular organisation.

This lecture is organised in collaboration with Infosys Science Foundation.