Dr. Lequime receives Beijerinck Premium

Dr. Sebastian Lequime of the Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES) receives the Beijerinck Premium of the KNAW worth EUR 25,000 for his research on viral evolution. He will receive the premium at the Dutch Annual Virology Symposium on March 5, 2021. The Beijerinck Premium is awarded annually to a post-doctoral researcher who is conducting outstanding virus-related research at a Dutch research institution.

Lequime searches viral genetic material for clues as to their origins and how they are transmitted. He is particularly interested in viruses transmitted by insects and spiders and in viruses that infect bacteria. In addition to his research, Lequime also does a significant amount of outreach. For example, he contributes to the Vir(Ev)o YouTube channel, devoted to explaining the basic concepts of viral evolution and molecular epidemiology.