First prize for Swiss researcher Bernd Bodenmiller
Swiss researcher Bernd Bodenmiller today won the first prize in the DSM
Science & Technology Awards (South) 2007. An international judging committee,
chaired by Dr Manfred Eggersdorfer, R&D Director at DSM Nutritional Products,
selected Bernd Bodenmiller, who will obtain his doctorate from the Swiss
Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich in November 2007 for his PhD
thesis entitled ‘Quantitative Analysis of Protein Phosphorylation on a
Proteome-Wide Scale: Technology Development, Validation and Applications’.
Bernd Bodenmiller has succeeded in developing and validating a novel
technology in proteomics research to enrich, identify and quantify
phosphopeptides on a system-wide scale. So far this has been a tremendous
challenge due to low abundance and high complexity of phosphoproteins. He has
demonstrated the power of this technology by successful applications in two
relevant biological models. His research has already resulted in several
publications in high-ranking journals.
Bernd Bodenmiller was presented with an award trophy and a certificate by Mr
Stephan Tanda, member of DSM’s Managing Board. As the winner of the first
prize he will also receive a cash prize of EUR 7,500.
The winner of the second prize, Eveline Trachsel, also of the Swiss Federal
Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich (Switzerland), will receive a cash prize
of EUR 5,000. The winner of the third prize, Thomas Hofer of the
Leopold-Franzens University Innsbruck (Austria), will receive a cash prize of
EUR 2,500. The other nine finalists will each receive a cash prize of EUR
1,250.
In its report about the winner of the first prize, Bernd Bodenmiller, the
judging committee said it was impressed by the successful integration of
several techniques, such as chemical, biological, mass spectrometric and
computational approaches, which is unique and world-leading: ‘The judging
committee expects that the outcome of the research will prove useful in the
elucidation of intracellular signalling pathways involved in the development
of severe diseases and hence provide the basis for the development of
appropriate prevention strategies. This may also open-up opportunities for new
nutritional concepts to improve human health.’ The judging committee commended
the high quality of the work of all the other finalists.
