Eppendorf award for young European investigators 2023
2 Jul 2023
On June 22, 2023, the Hamburg-based life sciences company, Eppendorf SE awarded its prestigious research prize, the Eppendorf Award for Young European Investigators, to Dr. Maurice Michel, Science for Life Laboratory, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden. Established in 1995, the award honors outstanding work in biomedical research and supports young scientists in Europe up to the age of 35. It is presented in partnership with the scientific journal, Nature, and comprises an independent jury chaired by Prof. Reinhard Jahn.
Dr. Michel received the award for his research on artificial functions of DNA repair enzymes for the treatment of disease. He showed that binding of a small molecule to the active site of a DNA repair enzyme not only increases its activity but also prompts it to carry out a reaction not found in the free protein, leading to enhanced DNA repair after oxidative damage.
“These ground-breaking discoveries may have far-reaching applications in the treatment of cancer or age-related degeneration", the judges said.
Dr. Michel explained “It is an immense honor and I feel humbled to be awarded with the 2023 Eppendorf Award…The award recognizes the potential of manipulating enzymatic functions in living cells at will. Using small molecule organocatalysts, we installed new biochemical reactions within an enzyme and have thus succeeded in rewriting the base excision repair pathway. Our research now focuses on broadening this technology base by investigating other enzymes and understanding biochemical reaction pathways and their biological consequences. Rerouting or reducing oxidative DNA damage depending on individual needs could serve as a new strategy for the development of the precision therapeutics of the future."