Winners of the 2026 Rank Prizes announced
Nutrition
Optoelectronics
The winners of the 2026 Rank Prizes in Nutrition and Optoelectronics have been announced.
Professor David E. Salt (University of Nottingham) and Professor Martin Broadley (Rothamsted Research and University of Nottingham) are the winners of the 2026 Rank Prize for Nutrition. Fusing advances in high-throughput elemental profiling with genetics, their ground-breaking research has revealed how plants accumulate mineral nutrients and trace elements from the soil. By profiling soil and crop quality, their work is transforming dietary interventions in low and middle-income countries and enhancing nutrition and health outcomes for their citizens.
Learn more about their research and why it matters here.
Professor Susumu Noda (Kyoto University, Japan) is the winner of the 2026 Rank Prize for Optoelectronics. Over more than 25 years of dedicated research, he has developed a pioneering new form of semiconductor laser, the Photonic Crystal Surface Emitting Laser, or PCSEL. The PCSEL combines the optical performance of more bulky laser systems with the efficiency, compactness, durability and integrability of smaller semiconductor lasers. The PCSEL is an ideal candidate for implementation in areas such as high-precision manufacturing, autonomous vehicles and space applications.
Find out more about Professor Noda’s groundbreaking research here.
Founded in 1972 by the British industrialist and philanthropist Lord J. Arthur Rank, the prestigious Rank Prizes are awarded biennially in the fields of nutrition and optoelectronics for breakthrough research with real-world impact.
The Prizes will be awarded formally at an event in London in June 2026.
