Mira Holzheimer wins the KNCV-Backer prize

The KNCV-Backer Prize is awarded annually to the best PhD thesis in the field of organic chemistry that was defended in the Netherlands. The Committee consisted of Marthe Walvoort (Chair), Tati Fernández-Ibáñez, Bauke Albada and Gert de Cremer, experts in a wide range of disciplines within the organic chemistry field.

In total, 10 theses were submitted this year. They were judged based on the scientific quality, the relevance of the research, the clarity and structure of the thesis and their contributions to the field of organic chemistry. The jury was impressed by the quality of all theses. From the first round in which each thesis was reviewed by two jury members, a sub-set of 3 theses was selected. After extensive deliberations, the jury has decided to award the KNCV Backer prize to Mira Holzheimer for her PhD-thesis titled ‘On the Total Synthesis of Archaeal and Mycobacterial Natural Products’. The study was conducted at the University of Groningen under the guidance of Prof. Adri Minnaard.