![\"\"](\"https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/RPF-nobel-medicina-2025-11-1140.jpg\")
University of Osaka Immunology Frontier Research Center | Institute for Systems Biology (ISB) | Fred Ramsdell \/ Wikimedia Commons <\/span>Shimon Sakaguchi, Mary Brunkow, and Frederick Ramsdell identified immune system watchdogsUniversity of Osaka Immunology Frontier Research Center | Institute for Systems Biology (ISB) | Fred Ramsdell \/ Wikimedia Commons <\/span><\/p><\/div>\n Physiology or Medicine<\/strong> As part of the body\u2019s defense system, T lymphocytes target invading agents, but they can also mistakenly attack the body itself. Normally, malfunctioning T cells are identified and eliminated in the thymus, though some escape this process. Such errors can lead to diseases like type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and systemic lupus erythematosus.<\/p>\n \u201cSome researchers suspected there might be a secondary control mechanism,\u201d explains immunologist Jorge Kalil Filho, from the University of S\u00e3o Paulo\u2019s School of Medicine (FM-USP). That hypothesis gained strength when Sakaguchi described a new type of cell\u2014the regulatory T cell, or Treg\u2014which acts as a second layer of immune oversight.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Brunkow and Ramsdell sought the genetic mutation that caused a particular mouse strain, known as scurfy mice, to develop a range of autoimmune conditions. Working at Celltech Chiroscience in Washington State, they identified a mutation in a previously unknown gene, which they named Foxp3<\/em>.<\/p>\n In 2001, Brunkow, Ramsdell, and colleagues linked Foxp3<\/em> mutations to both X-linked polyendocrinopathy and enteropathy (IPEX), a severe autoimmune disorder, as well as to the condition seen in scurfy mice. Two years later, Sakaguchi\u2019s group demonstrated the connection between Foxp3<\/em> and the function of regulatory T cells. Understanding how these regulatory cells operate could pave the way for new treatments for autoimmune diseases, reduce transplant rejection, and enhance cancer therapies.<\/p>\n Brandon S\u00e1nchez Mejia \/ UC Berkeley | Harold Shapiro \/ Yale University | Jeff Liang \/ UCSB<\/span>John Clarke, Michel Devoret, and John Martinis: quantum tunnelingBrandon S\u00e1nchez Mejia \/ UC Berkeley | Harold Shapiro \/ Yale University | Jeff Liang \/ UCSB<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n Physics Working together at Berkeley, the trio carried out experiments in 1984 and 1985 demonstrating that unusual quantum properties, which were once thought to exist only in the realm of atoms and subatomic particles, could also be created and measured in far larger, macroscopic systems. They were the first to measure quantum tunneling in a superconducting electronic circuit, where electric current flows with no resistance and therefore no energy loss when cooled to temperatures close to absolute zero. Tunneling underlies the radioactive decay of atoms and is related to the superposition of quantum states, in which a particle can exist in two states simultaneously. Observing this phenomenon in macroscopic systems opened the door to research aimed at developing quantum computers, which rely on manipulating quantum bits (qubits) created and maintained in superconducting circuits.<\/p>\n The superconducting circuit built by the laureates was the physical realization of a theoretical proposal outlined in a 1981 Physical Review Letters<\/em> article by Brazilian physicist Amir Caldeira, of the University of Campinas (UNICAMP), and his doctoral advisor at the University of Sussex in the United Kingdom, British physicist Anthony Leggett. \u201cOur work served as the basis for the experiments of the three physicists who have now won the Nobel Prize,\u201d says Caldeira.<\/p>\n Shane Collins \/ Northwestern University | Ashley Mccabe \/ Brown University | Kiran Ridley \/ Getty Images <\/span>Joel Mokyr, Peter Howitt, and Philippe Aghion: sustainable growthShane Collins \/ Northwestern University | Ashley Mccabe \/ Brown University | Kiran Ridley \/ Getty Images <\/span><\/p><\/div>\n Economics \u201cMokyr is the leading advocate for the connection between the spread of Enlightenment ideas beginning in the 17th<\/sup> century and the Industrial Revolution,\u201d says economist Thales Zamberlan Pereira of the S\u00e3o Paulo School of Economics at the Getulio Vargas Foundation (FGV-EESP). \u201cHe argues that England\u2019s secret weapon was applying macro-innovations, major breakthroughs that arose during the Enlightenment, to practical uses, and that disruptive ideas are necessary to generate productivity shocks.\u201d This view aligns with the work of Aghion and Howitt, the other two laureates. \u201cThey seek to show that technological innovation is fundamental for explaining long-run economic growth,\u201d adds Luciano Nakabashi of the School of Economics and Administration (FEA) at the University of S\u00e3o Paulo\u2019s Ribeir\u00e3o Preto campus.<\/p>\n In the 1990s, Aghion and Howitt incorporated the concept of \u201ccreative destruction,\u201d originally formulated in the 20th<\/sup> century by Austrian economist Joseph Schumpeter (1883\u20131950), into an economic growth model. \u201cUsing this mathematical framework, they demonstrated that technological innovation is one of the core drivers of economic growth,\u201d explains Nakabashi, currently a visiting researcher at Brown University.<\/p>\n Kyoto University | Paul Burston \/ University of Melbourne | Brittany Hosea-Small \/ UC Berkeley <\/span>Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson, and Omar Yaghi developed metal\u2013organic frameworksKyoto University | Paul Burston \/ University of Melbourne | Brittany Hosea-Small \/ UC Berkeley <\/span><\/p><\/div>\n Chemistry In 1989, Robson created a crystal with cavities that allowed ions to enter and exit in fluid form, but its structure was unstable and easily fell apart. The issue was later solved independently by the other two laureates. Kitagawa, now at Kyoto University in Japan, obtained metal\u2013organic structures in 1997 that were able to capture and release gases such as methane, oxygen, and nitrogen without needing water. He later produced flexible crystals that expand when filled and contract again when emptied.<\/p>\n Yaghi\u2019s group, now at the University of California, Berkeley, developed in 1995 a two-dimensional structure with cobalt linkages capable of stably storing molecules, even when heated to 350 \u00b0C. The structure he announced in 1999 remained stable at 300 \u00b0C even when empty and became famous for having a surface area equivalent to a soccer field in just a few grams.<\/p>\n In Brazil, several research groups use this technology. Chemical engineer Liane Rossi, from the Institute of Chemistry at the University of S\u00e3o Paulo (IQ-USP), develops gas adsorption systems and tests MOFs for soil conditioning. Chemical engineer Christiane Arruda, from the Diadema campus of the Federal University of S\u00e3o Paulo (UNIFESP), focuses on restoring water quality.<\/p>\n Franco Origlia \/ Getty Images <\/span>L\u00e1szl\u00f3 Krasznahorkai: long sentencesFranco Origlia \/ Getty Images <\/span><\/p><\/div>\n Literature Born in 1954 in rural Hungary, Krasznahorkai made his literary debut in 1985 with S\u00e1t\u00e1ntang\u00f3<\/em>. The novel centers on the arrival of a mysterious outsider in a decaying Hungarian village during the communist era, where residents welcome him as a savior. The book was published in Brazil in 2022 by Companhia das Letras, under its original title and translated from Hungarian into Portuguese by S\u00e3o Paulo translator and psychoanalyst Paulo Schiller. \u201cL\u00e1szl\u00f3 often says he mentally constructs his sentences and only writes them once they are fully formed. They are dense, frequently unpunctuated sentences that stretch over pages, making translation extremely laborious,\u201d Schiller remarks.<\/p>\n The publisher also plans to release two additional novels by the author: The Return of Baron Wenckheim<\/em> (2016) and Herscht 07769<\/em> (2021).<\/p>\n Peace \u201cGiven the symbolic importance of the Nobel Peace Prize, Machado\u2019s selection reflects not only the concern of parts of the international community regarding Venezuela, but also an effort to draw global attention to the need for political transition in the South American nation,\u201d observes political scientist Guilherme Casar\u00f5es, a professor at Florida International University (FIU) in the United States. He notes, however, that the laureate is considered a controversial figure.<\/p>\n Ig Nobel Prize<\/span>Journalist Karen Hopkin presents the awardIg Nobel Prize<\/span><\/p><\/div><\/p>\n The ceremony that precedes the Nobel Prize is a satire that celebrates creativity and humor in science. Its purpose is to make the audience laugh and then think.<\/p>\n This year\u2019s central theme was digestion, celebrated through a mini-opera about situations faced by gastroenterologists and their patients.<\/p>\n With this theme in mind, organizers selected a study by Japanese researchers who painted stripes on cows to resemble zebras to test whether the pattern affected mosquito attacks (it did\u2014striped cows were bitten less). Another study examined the type of pizza preferred by an African lizard species (Agama agama<\/em>). In physics, four scientists were honored for developing the \u201cperfect\u201d recipe for spaghetti cacio e pepe.<\/p>\n Two award-winning studies explored the effects of alcohol. In aviation research, a group was recognized for examining what happens to bats when they become intoxicated, and the Ig Nobel Peace Prize went to a team that demonstrated that alcohol can improve foreign-language pronunciation.<\/p>\n Works chosen for addressing \u201cindigestible\u201d topics also included the engineering and design prize, awarded to two Indian researchers who proposed eliminating shoe odors by creating a UV-C shoe rack capable of killing odor-causing bacteria. In literature, American physician William Bennett Bean (1909\u20131989) was honored for his detailed, decades-long records of his own fingernail growth.<\/p>\n Food-related curiosities inspired the pediatrics prize as well: researchers studied what happens to breast milk when lactating women consume a large amount of garlic. The milk\u2019s smell changed and babies nursed more.<\/p>\n The ceremony ended with the traditional shower of paper airplanes and the customary reassurance from Marc Abrahams, mathematician and creator of the awards:<\/p>\n \u201cIf you didn\u2019t win an Ig Nobel Prize this year\u2014and especially if you did\u2014better luck next year!\u201d<\/div>\n The story above was published with the title “From basic science to innovation<\/strong>” in issue 357 of November\/2025.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Surveillance cells of the immune system, quantum tunneling, and metal-organic frameworks won in the scientific categories, while the Economics prize recognized sustainable growth","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":576963,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[159],"tags":[259,225,245,247,235,236],"coauthors":[1601],"class_list":["post-576958","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-science","tag-chemistry","tag-economy","tag-literature","tag-medicine","tag-physics","tag-physiology"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/576958","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=576958"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/576958\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":576988,"href":"https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/576958\/revisions\/576988"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/576963"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=576958"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=576958"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=576958"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=576958"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nBetween 1995 and 2003, three immunologists uncovered and detailed how a braking mechanism of the immune system operates: Shimon Sakaguchi, 74, now a professor at Osaka University in Japan; Mary Brunkow, 63, program manager at the Institute for Systems Biology (ISB) in Seattle, USA; and Frederick Ramsdell, 64, of the biotechnology company Sonoma Biotherapeutics in San Francisco. \u201cThe discoveries made by these researchers have been decisive for understanding how the immune system functions and why not everyone develops severe autoimmune diseases,\u201d said Olle K\u00e4mpe, chair of the Nobel Committee, when announcing the award.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/RPF-nobel-fisica-2025-11-1140.jpg\")
\n<\/strong>In the centenary year marking the development of the foundations of quantum mechanics, which is the field that examines the behavior of matter and energy at the atomic and subatomic scale, the Nobel Prize was awarded to three researchers who, forty years ago, expanded the boundaries of this discipline: British John Clarke, 83, of the University of California, Berkeley; French Michel Devoret, 72, of the University of California, Santa Barbara, and Yale University; and American John Martinis, 67, also of the University of California, Santa Barbara.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/RPF-nobel-economia-2025-11-1140.jpg\")
\n<\/strong>Half of the prize was awarded to American Joel Mokyr, 79, of Northwestern University in the United States, who identified \u201cthe prerequisites for sustainable growth through technological progress.\u201d The other half is shared by Canadian Peter Howitt, 79, of Brown University in the United States, and French Philippe Aghion, 69, of the Coll\u00e8ge de France, the European Institute of Business Administration (INSEAD) in France, and the London School of Economics in the United Kingdom, recognized for developing a \u201ctheory of sustained growth through the concept of creative destruction.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/RPF-nobel-quimica-2025-11-1140.jpg\")
\n<\/strong>Susumu Kitagawa, 74, from Japan; Richard Robson, 88, from the United Kingdom; and Omar Yaghi, 60, a Jordanian-born American citizen, developed a new form of molecular architecture. Metal\u2013organic frameworks (MOFs)\u2014composed of metal ions (positively charged metal atoms) connected by organic molecules\u2014form crystals with large internal spaces. These structures can capture and store substances, stimulate chemical reactions, and conduct electricity.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/RPF-nobel-laszlo-krasznahorkai-2025-11-1140.jpg\")
\n<\/strong>With a 40-year career, Hungarian writer L\u00e1szl\u00f3 Krasznahorkai \u201cis a very challenging author,\u201d says Manoel Ricardo de Lima, professor at the School of Letters at the Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro (UNIRIO). \u201cHis writing is marked by long sentences that follow the characters\u2019 stream of consciousness, and his stories focus on the marginalized, the hungry, the destitute, those who have no place in the world,\u201d he explains.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>Former Venezuelan congresswoman Mar\u00eda Corina Machado is the most prominent opposition voice against the governments of Hugo Ch\u00e1vez (1954\u20132013) and Nicol\u00e1s Maduro. Now 58, she continues to live in Venezuela. According to the Nobel committee, she was recognized for acting as a unifying figure of the opposition and for demanding free elections in the country at a moment when \u201cdemocracy is under threat.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nSatire on the Nobel Prize celebrates 35 years of honoring unusual research<\/em><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/RPF-nobel-ignobel-2025-11-1140.jpg\")