The award, organised by the European Molecular Biology Organisation (EMBO) and the Federation of European Biochemical Societies (FEBS), acknowledges the exceptional achievements of a female researcher in molecular biology over the previous five years. Winners of the award are viewed as role models who inspire future generations of women in science.
Wolfgang Baumeister from the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry in Martinsried, Germany, who nominated Robinson for the award, said his colleague has pioneered, almost single-handedly, the use of electrospray mass spectrometry for structural studies of large multimeric protein assemblies.
‘She had the courage to do what experts regarded as not feasible and has succeeded in the face of strong scepticism,’ he said.
In collaboration with Micromass UK, Robinson designed an instrument specifically adapted for the detection of high-mass complexes, which has since gone into production in Canada and the UK and has now been installed in many laboratories around the world. More recently, her research has focused on combining mass spectrometry with cryoelectron microscopy.
Robinson will be presented with the award on 28 June at the 36th FEBS Congress in Torino, Italy, where she will present a special lecture.
Nominations for the 2012 FEBS/EMBO Women in Science Award close on 15 October 2011.
