Prof. Adri Minnaard and collaborators receive the RSC Chemistry Biology Interface Horizon Prize

The Lipidomics Team, of which the group of Prof. Adriaan Minnaard is one of the members, has been named winner of the RSC Chemistry Biology Interface Horizon Prize. This prize celebrates discoveries and innovations that push the boundaries of science in the field of chemical biology.

The international collaboration has won this prize for the development of a comparative lipidomics platform, combining chemical synthesis, bioinformatics, and human immunology with the aim to fight tuberculosis and other infectious diseases.

The group, which is a collaboration of research teams from Brigham and Women's Hospital at Harvard and the University of Groningen, who also collaborated with many other scientists around the world, will receive a trophy, while each team member will also get their own special individual token. To help others learn from their experiences, they will also be the subjects of a special video showcasing the fruits of their labour.

Summarising the team’s work

Tuberculosis is the deadliest bacterial infectious disease worldwide, yet we lack effective vaccines and rapid diagnostic tests. The 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 their killing. This opens up 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.

Reacting to the award win

After receiving the prize, Professor Adri Minnaard said: “I am excited that we received this award as it recognises the many collaborators we are working with so fruitfully.”

Dr Helen Pain, Chief Executive of the Royal Society of Chemistry, said: “The chemical sciences cover a rich and diverse collection of disciplines, from fundamental understanding of materials and the living world, to applications in medicine, sustainability, technology and more. By working together across borders and disciplines, chemists are finding solutions to some of the world’s most pressing challenges.