Soai Kenzo (硤合 憲三) was selected for the 2026 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for “autocatalytic reactions in asymmetric organic synthesis.” This provides an opportunity to review developments among companies related to analytical and measuring instruments.
On 7 October 2026, Soai Kenzo (硤合 憲三), professor emeritus at Tokyo University of Science, was selected as a Nobel Prize laureate in Chemistry. The award citation was “autocatalytic reactions in asymmetric organic synthesis,” known worldwide as the Soai reaction, which achieved the self-replication of enantiomers.
In the course of his research, Dr. Soai pointed to the importance of asymmetric reactions involved in separating and selecting molecules that are mirror images of each other, the “right-handed” and “left-handed” forms, and explained that investigating the essence of molecular structures is closely connected with the selectivity of amino acids in living organisms. The accumulation of many years of basic research is said to have supported the development of equipment such as analytical instruments and measuring devices.
In the stock market, investors look for related companies when Nobel Prize winners are announced. As “asymmetric organic synthesis” has been strongly influenced by basic research, the view was expressed that relatively few companies are directly involved at this stage. Meanwhile, companies cited as related stocks in the analytical and measuring instruments sector include Shimadzu Corporation, HORIBA, Ltd., リガク・ホールディングス and JEOL Ltd. These companies hold leading positions globally in technological fields including chromatography, X-ray analysis and electron microscopy.
End