The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2016 goes to the molecular researchers Ben Feringa, Jean-Pierre Sauvage and Fraser Stoddart. With their machines consisting of molecules, the researchers have taken chemistry to a new dimension. The molecular motor is now at the same development stage as the electric motor was in the 1830s. At that time no one had yet imagined that the invention would lead to electrically driven trains, washing machines and fans. In the future, molecular machines will most likely be used in sensors, energy storage systems and the development of new materials, according to the rationale for the prize. The Nobel Prize will be awarded in Stockholm on 10 December.