Announcement of Winners: 2023 Hansen Family Award and Early Excellence in Science Awards
Professor Claudia Höbartner from the Institute of Organic Chemistry at the University of Würzburg, Germany receives this year’s Hansen Family Award for her pioneering research in biomolecular chemistry of functional nucleic acids. Four young scientists are honored with the Early Excellence in Science Awards for their boundary breaking research in the fields of Biology, Chemistry, Data Science and Medical Science.
Winner of the 2023 Hansen Family Award
Professor Dr. Claudia Höbartner
University of Würzburg (JMU), Germany
For her ground-breaking research in the structural and mechanistic characterization and application of functional nucleic acids, called deoxyribozymes for DNA or ribozymes for RNA, respectively. Nucleic acids were long time primarily seen as molecules for information storage and information transfer in living cells. With her research Claudia Höbartner could demonstrate that these molecules can also play a crucial role in numerous biochemical reactions, like enzymatic proteins are known for.
This year the Bayer Foundation is presenting their renowned Hansen Family Award to Professor Claudia Höbartner. The Hansen Family Award is presented alternating with the Otto Bayer Award every second year. Leading scientists working in German-speaking countries are recognized with the award for exemplary research in the medical sciences and related fields. The award with a prize money of 75,000 euros was established in 2000 by Professor Kurt Hansen, a former Chairman of the Board and Supervisory Board at Bayer.
Claudia Höbartner from the University of Würzburg (JMU) is receiving the award in recognition for her ground-breaking research in the structural and mechanistic characterization and application of functional nucleic acids, called deoxyribozymes for DNA or ribozymes for RNA, respectively. Nucleic acids were long time primarily seen as molecules for information storage and information transfer in living cells. With her research Claudia Höbartner could demonstrate that these molecules can also play a crucial role in numerous biochemical reactions, like enzymatic proteins are known for. Beside these new basic insights into the structure and function of catalytic nucleic acids, her research has opened novel applications in medical diagnostics and therapeutic interventions.
Claudia Höbartner has been a professor at the Institute of Organic Chemistry at University of Würzburg since 2017. For her research and scientific engagement, she has just recently been awarded with the Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize of the German Research Foundation and with the highly reputed Bavarian Order of Merit. She has published her work in high profile scientific journals and is a member of the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina.
Early Excellence in Science Awards 2023
In addition to the Hansen Family Award and the Otto Bayer Award, the Bayer Foundation honors every year early career scientists for their outstanding research with the Early Excellence in Science Award (EESA) in Biology, Chemistry, Data Science and Medical Science. These awards with a prize money of 10,000 euros each, are presented to young scientists from any country worldwide.
Biology
Dr. Gal Ofir
This year’s award in the Biology category is presented to Dr. Gal Ofir (Max Planck Institute for Biology, Tübingen, Germany). Using bioinformatics and experimental methods, Gal Ofir investigates antiviral immune mechanisms in plants. His research has led to the groundbreaking discovery that mechanisms and biochemical actions of bacterial immune systems share a high degree of similarity with eukaryotic immune systems. This research provides not only important basic insights into the (co)evolution of bacteria and their predators but also significantly advances our understanding of biological defense mechanisms in eukaryotes including plants, which is of high relevance for novel applications in environmentally friendly crop protection.
Max Planck Institute for Biology, Germany
Chemistry
Dr. Erin Stache
Dr. Erin Stache (Princeton University, USA) is the winner of the award in the Chemistry category and recognized for her multidisciplinary research combining the fields of synthetic organic chemistry with photochemistry and polymer chemistry. One major aspect of her research is to find new solutions for a more sustainable plastics economy, i.e., degradation of polymers and reuse of monomers in a circular economy. Her research thereby paves the way for modern applications in materials sciences.
Princeton University, USA
Medical Sciences
Dr. Vivi Maketa
In the Medical Science category, the award goes to Dr. Vivi Maketa (University of Kinshasa, DR Congo) for her exceptional contributions to the design and implementation of research projects on infectious and neglected diseases. With her devoted work she provides essential proofs for the safety, immunogenicity, and efficacy of novel drugs and vaccines urgently needed, especially in low-income countries in Africa and other continents worldwide.
University of Kinshasa, DR Congo
Data Science in the Life Sciences
Dr. Michael Skinnider
The award for Data Science in the Life Sciences is attributed to Dr. Michael Skinnider (Princeton University and the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, USA) for his research at the intersection of computational science and disease biology. Through the development of a sophisticated computational platform and a novel artificial intelligence system, Michael Skinnider’s work enables the identification of novel antibiotics in microorganisms and the discovery of new therapeutic molecules within the human body or specifically the human microbiome.
Princeton University and Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, USA
Award Ceremony
All award winners will be honored at Bayer Foundation’s 2023 Science Award Celebration on the 14th of February 2024 in Leverkusen. The celebration will feature a mini symposium, including brief flash talks from the EESA recipients and distinguished Bayer scientists. After a festive laudation held by Professor Edith Heard, the Hansen Family Award will be handed over to Professor Claudia Höbartner who will present her research in a keynote lecture.
