The Science Behind the 2025 Nobel Prizes

Welcome to the Nobel Prize Symposium!

Join us at Rutherford House for an event celebrating (and explaining!) the science behind this year's Nobel Prizes. Our expert speakers from Te Herenga Waka - Victoria University of Wellington will give an overview of the prize in their fields, followed by an opportunity for the audience to ask their burning questions. Stay for some refreshments and informal chat with the speakers after the event.

2025 Nobel Prize in Medicine/Physiology: They discovered how the immune system is kept in check

Awarded to Mary E. Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell and Shimon Sakaguchi

Professor Anne La Flamme from VUW will describe the Nobel Prize winners' fundamental research on an immune cell called the regulatory T cell. These immune cells are vitally important in calming the immune storm - when things get out of hand, they step in to shut off the immune response. In everyday life, they maintain immune balance, but if their function is impaired and they cannot turn off an unwanted immune response, autoimmune diseases can result. Conversely, too strong a function can prevent the killing of cancerous cells. In this talk, we will discuss how they were discovered, how they work, and what we can do to help support them to regulate our immune system.

2025 Nobel Prize in Physics: Their experiments on a chip revealed quantum physics in action

Awarded to John Clarke, Michel H. Devoret and John M. Martinis

Professor Uli Zuelicke from VUW: How fitting that 2025 is the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology, and the Physics Nobel Prize is given for the demonstration of quantum behaviour in an electric circuit! The prize recognises the important achievement of taking quantum phenomena out of the realm of atoms and elementary particles into the macroscopic world, which enabled current progress in quantum computing and quantum information as part of the second quantum revolution.

2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry: Their molecular architecture contains rooms for chemistry

Awarded to Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson and Omar M. Yaghi

Dr Luke Liu from VUW: This year’s Nobel Prize in Chemistry is a story about creating “nothing” to solve pressing global challenges. Three chemists, Richard Robson, Suzumu Kitagawa, and Omar Yaghi are recognised for their work in creating empty spaces within a class of materials called metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). These empty spaces have enabled revolutionary solutions such as carbon capture or water harvesting from air. This seminar will introduce a brief history, the chemistry, and how MOFs are now starting to change the world.

Don't miss this unique chance to immerse yourself in the world of Nobel Prize-winning discoveries and ideas. Reserve your spot now!