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Jordan has entered the Nobel community for the very first time. The 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry has been awarded to Professor Omar M. Yaghi, a scientist whose journey began with a simple childhood question: could the air around us hold the key to survival? His groundbreaking research into air-harvesting materials has now placed him at the forefront of global scientific innovation and opened new pathways for addressing the world’s most urgent climate challenges.The 2024 Scientific Innovation Award is presented to Professor Omar M. Yaghi, one of the world’s most pioneering chemists and the inventor of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). Renowned for transforming a childhood curiosity into a breakthrough with global impact, he grew up in an environment where water was scarce and daily life demanded resourcefulness. He learned early that the air surrounding him was not empty,  it held untapped possibilities. As a child, he watched how his community adapted to deprivation and began asking questions few others thought to ask. What if the air itself could give us what the earth no longer could? What if we could extract water from dryness? “Science gives us tools to rewrite what we believe is possible. My childhood taught me that even the air around us can be a resource if we learn how to listen to it.” This curiosity guided him into chemistry and ultimately into the study of MOFs, crystalline materials with vast internal surface areas and extraordinary absorptive power. These structures, resembling microscopic sponges, can trap gases, filter pollutants and extract moisture even from extremely dry air. After decades of research, he succeeded in doing what once seemed impossible: finding a way to “catch air” and turn it into water. A vision born in childhood has now become a technology with profound global relevance.A breakthrough for a climate-challenged centuryMOFs (Metal Organic Frameworks) are now considered one of the most versatile material classes in modern science. Their ability to harvest water from the atmosphere positions them at the center of global conversations about sustainability and climate resilience. For water-scarce regions, the implications are immense. Devices built with MOFs can extract clean water even in desert climates with very low humidity. They can support rural communities, agriculture and emergency response without relying on traditional water systems.Beyond water harvesting, MOFs enable:• Carbon capture• Hydrogen storage• Air purification• Advanced filtration• Catalytic processes• Environmental remediationThese applications make the Nobel Committee’s decision clear. His research is not simply a scientific milestone; it is a blueprint for the future.In its citation, the Nobel Committee emphasized that his work “transforms global challenges into solvable problems through molecular design.”The laureate himself reflected on the origins of his journey:“I learned early that scarcity is not a limitation. It is an invitation to think differently.Air is not empty. It holds everything we need if we learn how to unlock it.”A historic first for Jordan and a notable moment for the Middle EastThis year’s Nobel Prize carries additional significance. Jordan has never before had a Nobel laureate. This award marks a major scientific milestone for the country and shines a spotlight on the intellectual potential emerging from the region. While other Middle Eastern nations including Egypt, Israel, Iran, Yemen and Palestine have been recognized in the past, the number of laureates remains small. Jordan’s entry into this global circle is therefore both historic and symbolic. It signals that scientific excellence from the Arab world is increasingly being recognized on the world stage.What this means for the Gulf regionFew regions face climate constraints as acutely as the Gulf. High temperatures, limited freshwater reserves and rapid development place enormous pressure on water systems. While desalination remains indispensable, its environmental and energy costs are high. MOF technology offers a powerful complement.1. Water SecurityAir-harvesting can decentralize and diversify water sources, delivering clean water without large infrastructure.2. Climate TransitionMOFs support carbon capture and hydrogen storage, aligning with national sustainability agendas across the Gulf.3. Scientific LeadershipInvestment in advanced materials research can position Gulf nations at the forefront of climate and water innovation.4. Economic DiversificationApplications across energy, environment and manufacturing support long-term transformation toward knowledge-based economies. The journey from a child who imagined how to “catch air” to a scientist receiving the world’s highest scientific honor is a reminder that innovation begins with imagination and courage. It shows that even the harshest environments can inspire ideas that reshape the world. As Qatar and the wider Middle East pursue sustainability, resilience and scientific excellence, this Nobel Prize is more than a personal triumph. It is a regional moment of pride and a global symbol of what becomes possible when curiosity meets determination.____________________________________________FACT: What Are Metal–Organic Frameworks (MOFs)?Definition:Highly porous crystalline materials that act like molecular sponges.Why they matter:One gram can contain internal surface area comparable to a football field.Key applications:• Atmospheric water harvesting• Carbon capture• Hydrogen storage• Air purification• Filtration and catalysisWhy the Nobel Prize?They represent a fundamental shift in material design with direct applications to climate, energy and water security.

For 124 years, the Nobel Prize has stood as one of the world’s most respected distinctions, recognising discoveries and ideas that advance humanity. The prize was founded by Alfred Nobel, the Swedish chemist, engineer and industrialist whose inventions in explosives, including dynamite and safer detonation systems , built a vast international fortune. In his will, Nobel directed that this wealth should be used to honour individuals who had “conferred the greatest benefit to humankind”, turning personal success into a global legacy of progress. On 10 December, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death, the world honours the 2025 Nobel Laureates. Nobel Day has become a defining moment in international recognition, celebrating achievements in science, literature, economic thought and peacebuilding. The 2025 awards speak directly to the challenges shaping the modern era: the defence of democracy, advances in medical research, breakthroughs in quantum physics, climate-relevant materials, deeper insights into innovation and a literary voice that captures the anxieties of contemporary life. From María Corina Machado’s struggle for democratic freedoms to discoveries in immunology, chemistry, physics and economics, and the visionary writing of László Krasznahorkai, the 2025 Nobel Prizes illustrate what becomes possible when knowledge, creativity and courage converge. The 2025 laureates, announced in October, are celebrated at a moment of political strain, rapid scientific progress and global transformation. Nobel assigned the Peace Prize to Norway’s Parliament because, at the time he wrote his will, Sweden and Norway shared a union but had separate governments. Norway’s reputation for diplomacy made it, in his view, the most credible guardian of a prize dedicated to peace. That tradition continues today: the Peace Prize is presented in Oslo, while all other Nobel Prizes are awarded in Stockholm in the presence of His Majesty King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden.The 2025 Nobel laureates and their motivations**media[391542]**Nobel Peace Prize:Democracy defended in VenezuelaMaría Corina Machado receives the Peace Prize for her determined efforts to restore democratic freedoms in Venezuela. Despite intimidation, political exclusion and exile, she has become a leading figure in peaceful resistance to authoritarian rule. Her recognition underscores global concerns about the fragility of democratic institutions.Nobel Prize in Literature:The visionary voice of László KrasznahorkaiHungarian novelist László Krasznahorkai is honoured for his compelling and visionary body of work. His long, flowing prose and themes of collapse, transformation and spiritual unrest have shaped contemporary literature across Europe, Asia and the Americas.Nobel Prize in Medicine:Understanding the immune system’s self-controlMary E. Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell and Shimon Sakaguchi receive the Medicine Prize for pioneering discoveries on regulatory T cells, the immune system’s mechanism for preventing attacks on the body’s own tissues. Their work has reshaped modern immunology and opened new avenues for treating autoimmune disease, cancer and transplant rejection.Nobel Prize in Physics:Quantum mechanics at human xcaleJohn Clarke, Michel H. Devoret and John M. Martinis are recognised for demonstrating quantum tunnelling and energy quantisation in macroscopic electrical circuits. Their findings proved that quantum effects extend far beyond the microscopic realm and laid the foundation for superconducting qubits, accelerating efforts to develop practical quantum computers.Nobel Prize in Chemistry:Materials for a climate-challenged centurySusumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson and Omar M. Yaghi are awarded the Chemistry Prize for developing metal–organic frameworks, or MOFs, a class of materials with immense internal surface area and critical environmental applications. MOFs have become central to carbon capture, hydrogen storage and water harvesting, making this research vital in a climate-constrained world.Prize in Economic Sciences:Innovation as the engine of prosperityJoel Mokyr, Philippe Aghion and Peter Howitt receive the Prize in Economic Sciences for theories explaining how technological innovation drives long-term economic growth. Their work clarifies why societies prosper when they embrace new ideas, offering insights that resonate strongly in an age defined by artificial intelligence, automation and global economic change. From democracy and literature to immunology, quantum physics, climate-focused chemistry and the economics of innovation, the 2025 Nobel Prizes reflect the most pressing questions of our time. They also reaffirm Alfred Nobel’s vision: that human progress depends on curiosity, creativity and the courage to challenge accepted limits. Awarded for more than a century, the Nobel Prizes continue to define what the world values most. In 2025, they once again highlight the individuals whose ideas and achievements are helping shape the future.

His Excellency Minister of Municipality Abdullah bin Hamad bin Abdullah Al Attiyah has been awarded the Nobel Sustainability Trust Medal for Outstanding Contribution to Sustainability, in recognition of his efforts in advancing sustainable development initiatives, promoting smart economic systems, and fostering green and resilient urban planning. The award was presented during a ceremony organized by the Nobel Sustainability Trust in the US State of Miami, in the presence of Peter Nobel, Chairman of the Nobel Sustainability Trust, along with senior officials and distinguished guests.In his address, HE the Minister of Municipality said the recognition reflects the success of Qatar's balanced and comprehensive approach to sustainability and development under the wise leadership of HH the Amir of State of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani. He noted that HH the Amir's clear vision for sustainability, long-term prosperity, and integrated development has guided the country's national strategies and the establishment of modern, sustainable cities.His Excellency added that Qatar's commitment to sustainability is rooted in a firm belief in the necessity of safeguarding the environment and enhancing the proesperity of future generations, in line with Qatar National Vision 2030.He noted that the Ministry of Municipality has worked to develop smart, integrated and resilient urban environments based on scientific planning, efficient land use, digital transformation, and advanced infrastructure and sustainability projects. These efforts, he said, have strengthened Qatar's position as a leading international model for balanced and sustainable development. HE the Minister of Municipality also pointed to the strategic partnership with the Nobel Sustainability Trust, which reflects Qatar's commitment to supporting international sustainability efforts, praising the Trust's role in advancing scientific and innovative solutions to global sustainability challenges.The Nobel Sustainability Trust announced in June that Qatar had been selected to host the 2026 Nobel Sustainability Awards Ceremony, praising the country's achievements in innovation and sustainability. A high-level delegation from the Trust recently visited Doha, expressing admiration for Qatar's ambitious national vision and its advanced initiatives in digital transformation, resource efficiency, and sustainable city development.

Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado has vowed to go to Norway to pick up her Nobel Peace Prize, defying a warning from Caracas that she would be a fugitive if she did so.The head of the Nobel Institute, Kristian Berg Harpviken, told AFP Saturday that Machado — who lives in hiding in her country — promised him she would make the ceremony, which is to take place in Oslo on Wednesday."I was in contact with Machado last night (Friday) and she confirms that she will be in Oslo for the ceremony," Kristian Berg Harpviken said."Given the security situation, we cannot say more about the date or how she will arrive," he said.He added, on NRK radio, that "nothing is ever 100-percent sure, but this is as certain as it can possibly be".Venezuela's attorney general, Tarek William Saab, told AFP last month that Machado, 58, would be considered a "fugitive" if she travelled to Norway to accept the peace prize, which she was awarded on October 10.The December 10 date of the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony coincides with the anniversary of the death of Alfred Nobel, the Swedish inventor of dynamite who left most of his fortune to be used for prizes for people who have brought "the greatest benefit" to humanity.Opposition activism in Venezuela has been muted since the arrest of some 2,400 people during protests that followed the most recent reelection of President Nicolas Maduro in July 2024.Machado has accused Maduro of stealing the election which she was banned from standing in, a claim backed by much of the international community.Machado, in hiding since August 2024, is a supporter of US President Donald Trump who himself has long coveted the prestigious Nobel peace award.Trump and so far been unsuccessful, despite intense lobbying on his behalf.Since returning to the White House for his second term in January, Trump has insisted that he deserved the Nobel for his role in resolving numerous conflicts.The White House even lashed out at the Norwegian Nobel Committee after it gave the award to Machado, claiming it had placed "politics over peace".However, Machado swiftly dedicated her award not only to the "suffering people of Venezuela", but also to the US president who, she said, had lent "decisive support of our cause"."More than ever we count on President Trump," she wrote on X.Trump has since became the recipient of a different peace prize: one created by the world football association FIFA and handed to him at the 2026 World Cup draw Friday.A smiling Trump called the award "truly one of the great honours of my life", and claimed again that "we saved millions and millions of lives".Machado agrees with Washington's assessment that Maduro heads a drug cartel, and has welcomed a beefed-up US military presence in the region, which has seen strikes on alleged drug boats.Trump's administration insists it is effectively at war with alleged "narco-terrorists". But Maduro has accused Washington of using drug trafficking as a pretext for "imposing regime change" in Caracas.Maduro has rejected a "slave's peace" for the region, amid mounting fears of US military action against his country.The months-long US military campaign has so far killed at least 87 people dead in more than 20 strikes, including a "double-tap" strike in which two men clinging to the wreckage of their vessel were killed. 

James Watson — the Nobel laureate co-credited with the discovery of DNA's double-helix structure, but whose reputation was tainted by his repeated racist remarks — has died aged 97.The eminent American biologist died Thursday in hospice care on Long Island in New York, said the Cold Spring Harbour Laboratory, where he was based for much of his career.Watson went down as among the 20th century's most storied scientists for his 1953 discovery of the double helix, a breakthrough made with research partner Francis Crick.Along with Crick and Maurice Wilkins, Watson shared the 1962 Nobel Prize for their momentous work that gave rise to modern biology and opened the door to insights including on genetic code and protein synthesis.That ushered in a new era of modern life, allowing for revolutionary technologies in medicine, forensics and genetics, like criminal DNA testing or genetically manipulated plants.Watson was just 25 when he joined in on one of science's greatest discoveries. He later went on to do groundbreaking work in cancer research and mapping the human genome.His 1968 memoir *The Double Helix was a best-seller praised for its breezy writing about fierce competition in the name of scientific advancement.But on a personal level Watson was known as at best cantankerous and frank, at worst mean and bigoted.He routinely disparaged female scientists, including Rosalind Franklin, whose work on X-ray diffraction images of DNA offered the clue that made Watson and Crick's modeling possible.Franklin, who worked with Wilkins, did not receive the Nobel. She died in 1958, and the prestigious prize is neither shared by more than three people nor given posthumously.Watson faced few consequences for his behavior until 2007 when he told a newspaper he was "inherently gloomy about the prospect of Africa" because "all our social policies are based on the fact that their intelligence is the same as ours — whereas all the testing says not really."He apologised — but was swiftly removed as his lab's chancellor and his public image never recovered.Born on April 6, 1928 in Chicago, Illinois, at the aqe of 15 James Dewey Watson won a scholarship to the University of Chicago.He received a PhD in zoology in 1950 from Indiana University Bloomington, and embarked on an academic path that took him to European universities including Cambridge, where he met Crick and began a historic partnership.Working with X-ray images obtained by Franklin and Wilkins, researchers at King's College in London, Watson and Crick started parsing out the double helix.Their first serious effort came up short.But their second attempt — an image of Franklin's proved key, and the duo had it without her knowledge — resulted in Watson and Crick presenting the double-helical configuration.The now iconic depiction resembles a twisting ladder.Their model also showed how the DNA molecule could duplicate itself, answering a fundamental question in the field of genetics.Watson and Crick published their findings in the British journal *Nature in 1953 to great acclaim.Watson taught at Harvard for 15 years before becoming director of what today is known as the Cold Spring Harbour Laboratory, which he transformed into a global hub of molecular biology research.From 1988 to 1992, Watson was one of the directors of the Human Genome Project at the National Institutes of Health, where he oversaw the mapping of the genes in the human chromosomes.He shared two sons, Rufus and Duncan, with his wife Elizabeth.And he received honorary degrees from dozens of universities, wrote many books and was heavily decorated. Jeff Goldblum played him in a BBC-produced film about the double helix.On Friday his former lab commended his "extraordinary contributions."But the institution had ultimately severed ties with the scientist, including stripping him of his emeritus status — in a PBS documentary that aired in 2019, Watson once again made "reprehensible" remarks.

The Nobel prize in economics was awarded on Monday to American-Israeli Joel Mokyr, France's Philippe Aghion and Canada's Peter Howitt for work on how technology drives and affects growth.Mokyr, 79, won one half of the prize "for having identified the prerequisites for sustained growth through technological progress", the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences said.Aghion, 69, and Howitt, 79, shared the other half "for the theory of sustained growth through creative destruction", it added.John Hassler, chair of the prize committee, told reporters their work answered questions about how technological innovation drives growth and how sustained growth can be maintained."During almost all of humankind's history, living standards did not change noticeably from generation to generation. Economic growth was, on average, zero, and stagnation was the norm," Hassler said.But over the last two centuries "things have been very different.""During the last 200 years, the world has seen more economic growth than ever before in human history," Kerstin Enflo, a member of the economics prize committee, explained to reporters.However, she cautioned that "200 years is still just a short period compared to the long run history of stagnation that we saw before.""The laureates' work reminds us that we should not take progress for granted. Instead, society must keep an eye on the factors that generate and sustain economic growth," Enflo said.Mokyr, who is a professor at Northwestern University in the United States, "used historical sources as one means to uncover the causes of sustained growth becoming the new normal", the jury said in a statement.He was spotlighted for demonstrating that if "innovations are to succeed one another in a self-generating process, we not only need to know that something works, but we also need to have scientific explanations for why"."The latter was often lacking prior to the industrial revolution, which made it difficult to build upon new discoveries and inventions," the jury said.Speaking to the Nobel Foundation, Mokyr said he had first missed the call from Sweden and that the news was "overwhelming"."Everybody says this, but I'm really being truthful ... this came as a total surprise," the economic historian said."I had a whole list of people that I thought were going to win, and I wasn't on it," he added.Meanwhile, Aghion and Howitt created a mathematical model for "creative destruction", which refers to the process "when a new and better product enters the market, the companies selling the older products lose out".Howitt is a professor emeritus of economics at Brown University in the United States, while Aghion is a professor at College de France and INSEAD in Paris and the London School of Economics and Political Science."I'm still speechless. It came really as a huge surprise," Aghion told reporters via telephone during the prize announcement.Speaking about what could risk upsetting growth, he mentioned the threats of steep tariffs introduced since US President Donald Trump's return to the White House."Openness is a driver of growth. Anything that gets in the way of openness is an obstacle to growth," Aghion said.French President Emmanuel Macron congratulated his compatriot."With his vision of growth through innovation, he illuminates the future and proves that French thinking continues to enlighten the world," Macron said in a post on X.The economics prize is the only Nobel not among the original five created in the will of Swedish scientist Alfred Nobel, who died in 1896.It was instead created through a donation from the Swedish central bank in 1968, leading detractors to dub it "a false Nobel".But like the Nobels in chemistry and physics, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences chooses the winner and follows the same selection process.The economics prize wraps up this year's Nobel season which honoured research into the human immune system, practical applications of quantum mechanics and the development of new forms of molecular architecture.The literature prize went to Hungarian author Laszlo Krasznahorkai, whose works explore themes of postmodern dystopia and melancholy.Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado was given the highly watched Nobel Peace Prize.The Nobel economics prize consists of a diploma, a gold medal and a $1.2 million cheque.

Machado is Venezuela's opposition leaderWas blocked from running for president in 2024Laureate lives in hiding'Oh my God ... I have no words' says laureateVenezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, who lives in hiding, won the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize on Friday for fighting dictatorship in the country, receiving the award despite US President Donald Trump's repeated insistence he deserved it.Machado, a 58-year-old industrial engineer, was blocked in 2024 by Venezuela's courts from running for president and thus challenging President Nicolas Maduro, who has been in power since 2013."Oh my God ... I have no words," Machado told the secretary of the award body, Kristian Berg Harpviken, in a phone call which the Nobel Committee posted on social media."I thank you so much, but I hope you understand this is a movement, this is an achievement of a whole society. I am just one person. I certainly do not deserve it," she added.The White House criticised the decision, just days after Trump announced a breakthrough in talks to halt the fighting in Gaza between Israel and Hamas."President Trump will continue making peace deals, ending wars, and saving lives... The Nobel Committee proved they place politics over peace," White House spokesperson Steven Cheung said in a post on X.Maduro, whose 12 years in office have been marked by deep economic and social crisis, was sworn in for a third term in January this year, despite a six-month-long election dispute, international calls for him to stand aside and an increase in the US reward offered for his capture."When authoritarians seize power, it is crucial to recognise courageous defenders of freedom who rise and resist," the Norwegian Nobel Committee said in its citation.It was not immediately clear whether she would be able to attend the award ceremony in Oslo on December 10.Should she not attend, she would join the list of Peace Prize laureates prevented from doing so in the award's 124-year-history, including Soviet dissident Andrei Sakharov in 1975, Poland's Lech Walesa in 1983 and Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi in 1991.Machado is the first Venezuelan to win the Nobel Peace Prize and the sixth from Latin America.The United Nations human rights office welcomed the award to Machado as a recognition of "the clear aspirations of the people of Venezuela for free and fair elections".The head of the award committee, Joergen Watne Frydnes, said he hoped the award would spur the Venezuelan opposition's work."We hope that the entire opposition will have renewed energy to continue the work for a peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy," Frydnes told Reuters after the announcement.It could also strengthen international pressure against the Maduro administration, said Human Rights Watch's Americas director, Juanita Goebertus Estrada.The lead-up to this year's award was dominated by Trump's repeated public statements that he deserved to win the award. Trump is also a fierce critic of Maduro."I think the main takeaway is that the committee is again demonstrating its independence, that they wouldn't be swayed by popular opinions or political leaders to award the prize," Halvard Leira, research director at the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs, told Reuters."The democratic opposition of Venezuela is something that the US has been eager to support. So, in that sense, it would be hard for anyone to constitute this as an insult to Trump."The United States has struck several vessels allegedly carrying drugs off the coast of Venezuela in recent weeks.Trump has also said the US would look into attacking drug cartels "coming by land" in Venezuela.Trump has determined that the US is engaged in "a non-international armed conflict" with drug cartels, according to a document notifying Congress of its legal justification for deadly US strikes on boats off Venezuela.Frydnes, the Nobel committee leader, declined to say what it would take for Trump or others to win the prize in the future, or if efforts to end the fighting in Gaza could lead to an award in 2026."If it is nominated, then it will be considered, but time will show," Frydnes said."It's not our task to tell other people or other countries what to do, our task is to give out the peace prize.... So we'll have to see next year."The committee took its final decision before a ceasefire and hostage deal under the first phase of Trump's initiative to end the war in Gaza was announced on Wednesday.Ahead of the Nobel announcement, experts on the award had also said Trump was very unlikely to win as his policies were seen as dismantling the international world order the Nobel committee cherishes.The peace prize is the fifth Nobel awarded this week, after literature, chemistry, physics and medicine. Japanese organisation Nihon Hidankyo, a grassroots movement of atomic bomb survivors from Hiroshima and Nagasaki, won in 2024.The Nobel Peace Prize, worth 11 million Swedish crowns, or about $1.2 million, will be presented in Oslo on December 10, the anniversary of the death of Swedish industrialist Alfred Nobel, who founded the awards in his 1895 will.

Three scientists won the Nobel Prize for Chemistry Wednesday for developing a method of designing molecular structures whose multiple uses include tackling climate change by capturing carbon dioxide and harvesting water from desert air. Japan's Susumu Kitagawa, UK-born Richard Robson and American-Jordanian Omar Yaghi were honoured for their groundbreaking discoveries dating from the late 1980s to the early 2000s. Thanks to the trio's discoveries, said the jury, chemists had been able to build tens of thousands of so called metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). **media[366411]** "Some of these may contribute to solving some of humankind's greatest challenges," it added. It listed applications such as "separating PFAS from water, breaking down traces of pharmaceuticals in the environment, capturing carbon dioxide or harvesting water from desert air". In 1989, Robson, 88, tested using the properties of atoms in a new way using copper ions. "When they were combined, they bonded to form a well-ordered, spacious crystal," the jury said. "It was like a diamond filled with innumerable cavities." While Robson, a professor at the University of Melbourne, realised the potential of his discovery the molecular construction was unstable. It was Kitagawa, a professor at Kyoto University, and Yaghi, a professor at the University of California, Berkeley, who provided a proper foundation for the building method. Between 1992 and 2003, working separately, they made a series of revolutionary discoveries. Kitagawa "showed that gases can flow in and out of the constructions and predicted that MOFs could be made flexible," said the jury. Yaghi created "a very stable MOF" and showed that it could be modified using rational design, giving it new and desirable properties," it added. Reacting to the award, specialists in the field agreed on the importance of the work. For Dorothy J. Phillips, president of the American Chemical Society, the most exciting application was the capture of carbon dioxide. "We're in the midst of climate change, we really want to do things like track and reduce the carbon dioxide... that's a tremendous application," she told AFP. Ross Forgan, a professor of materials chemistry at the University of Glasgow, told AFP that MOFs could be described as "solids that are full of holes". "They have a ridiculously high storage-capacity inside them because they are hollow, and they can soak up other molecules like a sponge," Forgan said. David Fairen-Jimenez, a professor who studies MOFs at the University of Cambridge, explained that they could also be assembled to make new "functional materials. "It's very easy to imagine as a molecular building game," he added, making a comparison to "playing with Lego". In an interview with the Nobel Foundation, Yaghi said he was "astonished, delighted, overwhelmed" on learning he had won the award. He was in an airport switching flights when the Academy called him to announce the news. Yaghi was born into a family of Palestinian refugees in Amman, Jordan. "I grew up in a very humble home," he said. "And, you know, we were a dozen of us in one small room, sharing it with the cattle that we used to raise." School provided a refuge for Yaghi, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences said in its statement. He moved to the US to study at the age of 15. "So it's quite a journey," he said -- and science had allowed him to make it, he added. "Science is the greatest equalising force in the world," Yaghi said. The chemistry prize follows the physics award, which on Tuesday honoured Briton John Clarke, Frenchman Michel Devoret and American John Martinis for work putting the theory quantum mechanics into action. On Monday, the Nobel Prize for Medicine went to Mary Brunkow and Fred Ramsdell, of the United States, and Japan's Shimon Sakaguchi for research into the human immune system. The Nobel literature prize will be announced on Thursday, followed by the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday. The economics prize wraps up the 2025 Nobel season on October 13. The Nobel consists of a diploma, a gold medal and a $1.2-million cheque, to be shared if there is more than one winner in a discipline.

Prize awarded for developing 'next generation of quantum technology''I'm completely stunned,' says UC Berkeley professorQuantum technology ubiquitous in everyday electronicsPhysics is second prize awarded in 2025 NobelsUS-based scientists John Clarke, Michel Devoret and John Martinis won the 2025 Nobel Prize in Physics for "experiments that revealed quantum physics in action", paving the way for the development of the next generation of digital technologies."My feelings are that I'm completely stunned. Of course it had never occurred to me in any way that this might be the basis of a Nobel Prize," Clarke told the Nobel press conference by telephone on Tuesday."I'm speaking on my cell phone and I suspect that you are too, and one of the underlying reasons that the cell phone works is because of all this work."Quantum mechanical behaviours are well studied at the level of the incredibly small - atoms and sub-atomic particles - but are often seen as bizarre and unintuitive compared with classical physics and its far larger scale.The Nobel winners carried out experiments in the mid-1980s with an electronic circuit built of superconductors and demonstrated that quantum mechanics could also influence everyday objects under certain conditions."It is wonderful to be able to celebrate the way that century-old quantum mechanics continually offers new surprises. It is also enormously useful, as quantum mechanics is the foundation of all digital technology," Olle Eriksson, chair of the Nobel Committee for Physics, said.Quantum technology is already ubiquitous, with transistors in computer microchips an everyday example."This year's Nobel Prize in Physics has provided opportunities for developing the next generation of quantum technology, including quantum cryptography, quantum computers, and quantum sensors," the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, which awards the prize, said in a statement. Quantum computers use principles of quantum mechanics to make complex calculations, predict outcomes and perform analysis that in some cases could take traditional computers millions of years.The field is considered to have the potential to help solve some of humanity's most pressing concerns, such as tackling climate change. But it also faces challenges, including improving the accuracy of its chips, and timelines for commercially viable quantum computing remain disputed.British-born Clarke is a professor at the University of California, Berkeley, in the United States.Devoret, who was born in France and was congratulated on X by French President Emmanuel Macron, is a professor at Yale University and the University of California, Santa Barbara, also in the United States, where Martinis is also a professor.Martinis, an American, headed Google's Quantum Artificial Intelligence Lab until 2020. At Google, Martinis was part of the research team who in 2019 said they had achieved "quantum supremacy", in which a computer harnessing the properties of sub-atomic particles did a far better job of solving a problem than the world's most powerful supercomputer.Devoret, besides his professorship, is also the chief scientist of Google Quantum AI. It is the second straight year that a Nobel has been won by scientists with Google ties. The 2024 chemistry prize was awarded to Demis Hassabis and John Jumper at Google DeepMind while Geoffrey Hinton, who worked for Google for more than a decade, won for physics the same year.The Nobel physics prize is awarded by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and includes a prize sum totalling 11 million Swedish crowns ($1.2 million) that is shared among the winners if there are several, as is often the case.The Nobel Prizes were established through the will of Alfred Nobel, who amassed a fortune from his invention of dynamite. Since 1901, with occasional interruptions, the prizes have annually recognised achievements in science, literature, and peace. Economics was a later addition.Physics was the first category mentioned in Nobel's will, likely reflecting the prominence of the field during his time. Today, the Nobel Prize in Physics remains widely regarded as the most prestigious award in the discipline.Past winners of the Nobel physics prize include some of the most influential figures in the history of science, such as Albert Einstein, Erwin Schrodinger, Max Planck and Niels Bohr, the latter three all pioneers of quantum theory.In keeping with tradition, physics is the second Nobel to be awarded this week, after two American and one Japanese scientist won the medicine prize for breakthroughs in understanding the immune system. The chemistry prize is due next, on Wednesday.The science, literature and economics prizes are presented to the laureates by the Swedish king at a ceremony in Stockholm on December 10, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel's death, followed by a lavish banquet at city hall.The peace prize, which will be announced on Friday, is awarded in a separate ceremony in Oslo.

Scientists' work relates to 'how we keep immune system under control'Work spurred development of treatments in areas such as cancer, autoimmune diseaseMore than 200 trials on humans involving regulatory T cells under wayFirst award in 2025 Nobel Prizes, Physics next on TuesdayAmerican scientists Mary Brunkow and Fred Ramsdell and Shimon Sakaguchi from Japan won the 2025 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine on Monday for work shedding light on how the immune system spares healthy cells, creating openings for possible new autoimmune disease and cancer treatments.Their discoveries relate to peripheral immune tolerance, or "how we keep our immune system under control so we can fight all imaginable microbes and still avoid autoimmune disease", said Marie Wahren-Herlenius, a rheumatology professor at Sweden's Karolinska Institute, the awarding body.The institute said all three laureates brought to the fore so-called regulatory T cells, a class of white blood cells that act as the immune system's security guards that keep immune cells from attacking our own body.Brunkow, who found out she had won after being woken by her dog barking at a news photographer on the front porch of her Seattle home, said she, Ramsdell and their colleagues had isolated a gene called FOXP3 that could be used as a marker for the cells."They're rare, but powerful, and they're critical for sort of dampening an immune response," she said in an interview, describing the cells as a braking system that prevents the body's immune system from tipping over into attacking itself.Sakaguchi expressed surprise at a press conference in Osaka, western Japan, because he felt any major recognition would have depended on more development advances."I used to think that some sort of reward may be forthcoming if what we have been doing will advance a little further and it will become more beneficial to people in clinical settings," he said in a calm voice, cracking a smile now and then.The press conference was interrupted for Sakaguchi to take a congratulatory phone call from Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who asked him how effective immunotherapy could be for cancer treatment in the future."I believe the time will come when cancer is no longer a scary disease, but a curable one," said Sakaguchi.The winners of the award are selected by the Nobel Assembly of the Karolinska Institute, a leading medical university, and receive a prize sum of 11 million Swedish crowns ($1.2 million), as well as a gold medal presented by Sweden's king.Brunkow is senior programme manager at the Institute for Systems Biology in Seattle, while Ramsdell is scientific adviser at Sonoma Biotherapeutics in San Francisco. Sakaguchi is a professor at Osaka University.Jeffrey Bluestone, a decades-long friend of Ramsdell and a co-founder with him of Sonoma Biotherapeutics, told Reuters that his associate's extraordinary contribution was finding the FOXP3 gene, initially in mice, that controlled the development of regulatory T cells. They described their findings in a paper in 2001."Those cells were the master regulators of the tolerance of the immune system," said Bluestone.Ramsdell could not be reached by Reuters - nor by Brunkow or Bluestone, with Bluestone saying he may be on a hiking trip in an area without cell phone reception.After announcing the winners, the Karolinska Institute's Thomas Perlmann said specific therapies had yet to win market clearance but more than 200 trials on humans involving regulatory T cells were ongoing.Among companies in the early race, Ramsdell's Sonoma Biotherapeutics is partly funded and supported by US drugmaker Regeneron to work on therapies against diseases including inflammatory bowel disease.Also targeting that condition, Quell Therapeutics has partnered with AstraZeneca. Other biotech firms exploring the approach include Bayer's BlueRock.The Nobel Prizes were established through the will of Alfred Nobel, the Swedish inventor of dynamite and a wealthy businessman.They have been awarded since 1901 for outstanding contributions in science, literature, and peace. The economics prize was added later and is funded by Sweden's central bank.Winners are selected by expert committees from various institutions. All prizes are awarded in Stockholm, except for the Peace Prize, which is presented in Oslo.Past recipients of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine include renowned scientists such as Alexander Fleming, who shared the 1945 award for discovering penicillin. In recent years, the prize has recognized major breakthroughs, including those that enabled the development of COVID-19 vaccines.Last year's medicine prize was awarded to US scientists Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun for their discovery of microRNA and its key role in how multicellular organisms grow and live.Medicine in accordance with tradition kicks off the annual Nobels. The physics award is next, on Tuesday.The awards culminate in ceremonies attended by the royal families of Sweden and Norway, followed by lavish banquets held on December 10 - the anniversary of Alfred Nobel's death.