Awards for two Mertonian chemists
At a ceremony last night Junior Research Fellow Dr Michael Booth was named winner of the Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology category in the Scopus Young Researcher UK Awards 2015. Michael’s research involves the development of synthetic cells and tissues, which can express functional proteins under the control of light.
Talking about his work, Michael says,
"What I really enjoy about the area I'm working in is being able to use lots of different techniques from different fields - so not just chemistry, not just biology, but being able to mix everything together to try and do something different"
Michael commented on winning the award:
"I was absolutely ecstatic to get the nomination for the award, but to actually be awarded it - I was over the moon! I really hope the award will give me the opportunity to springboard myself into an academic career"
The Scopus Young Researcher UK Award program was set up by Elsevier—a world-leading provider of scientific, technical and medical information products and services—and the US-UK Fulbright Commission in 2011 to highlight the work of early career researchers through awards across a variety of subject disciplines. Over 70 senior figures from government, academia and industry attended the Award Ceremony held at the Royal Society last night. The keynote speech was delivered by Gareth Davies, Director General for Knowledge and Innovation, at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
Tutor in Organic Chemistry Professor Véronique Gouverneur has been awarded the Tetrahedron Chair 2016, and will deliver a one-day course on a specific topic in organic synthesis at the 15th Belgian Organic Synthesis Symposium (BOSS XV), during which both her own research and the results of other scientists will be reviewed. BOSS XV combines lectures delivered by established organic chemists as well as younger rising stars with two prestigious events: a lecture delivered by the recipient of the Janssen Pharmaceutica Prize for Creativity in Organic Synthesis, and the Tetrahedron Chair.
Past winners of the Tetrahedron Chair are Hisashi Yamamoto, Erick Carreira, Ben Feringa, Alois Fürstner, John Hartwig, and David MacMillan.
