Prof. Adri Minnaard receives RSC Chemistry Biology Interface Horizon Prize with Lipidomics team

With the ‘Lipidomics Team’, Prof. Adri Minnaard has been named winner of the Chemistry Biology Interface Horizon Prize of the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC). The team receives the prize for their research on tests and vaccines against tuberculosis. The prize celebrates discoveries and innovations that push the boundaries of science in the field of chemical biology.

The international team has won this prize for developing a platform that combines chemical synthesis, bioinformatics and human immunology with the aim to fight tuberculosis and other infectious diseases. Previously, the team received the Ammodo Science Award for Fundamental Research and the NWO Team Science Award.

Towards a globally applicable vaccine

The Lipidomics team developed a strategy to discover new molecules in tuberculosis bacteria and demonstrated that these bacteria survive in immune cells by producing an antacid molecule that prevents them from being killed. This enables new therapeutic and diagnostic strategies. Other new tuberculosis bacterial molecules turn out to activate the human immune system and therefore support the development of a world-wide applicable vaccine. An important development, since there are currently no effective vaccines and rapid diagnostic tests for tuberculosis: the deadliest bacterial infectious disease worldwide.

Recognition for the entire team

The group, a collaboration of research teams from the Brigham and Women's Hospital at Harvard and the University of Groningen, which also collaborated with many other scientists around the world, will receive a trophy. Each team member will also receive their own special individual token. To help others learn from their experiences, a video will be made, showing the fruits of their work. Minnaard is excited about receiving the award: ‘It is a recognition for the many collaborators with whom we work so fruitfully.’

Read more

• Ammodo Science Award for tuberculosis vaccine

• 15 years of building molecules to fight tuberculosis: towards accessible testing for low-income countries