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The 2021 Nobel Prize in Chemistry has been awarded to Benjamin List and David MacMillan for the development of asymmetric organocatalysis. Vital in the synthesis of pharmaceuticals and increasingly that of new technological materials, asymmetric synthesis aims to selectively synthesize just one mirror image form of a particular molecule. The development of organocatalysis recognized that small chiral organic molecules could themselves act as catalysts for such processes. In recognition of this award, Nature Portfolio presents a collection of research, review and opinion articles that focus on the origins, the development and the future directions inspired by the topic.