DNA sequencing pioneer named as BBSRC Innovator of the Year
Prof Shankar Balasubramanian is recognised for the invention of Solexa genome sequencing
Balasubramanian, from the University of Cambridge, is the inventor of Solexa sequencing, an ultrafast method for sequencing DNA. He founded Solexa with colleagues in 1998. Following several rounds of fund raising and the launch of its core product, The Genome Analyser, the company was sold to Illumina for US$600m in 2007. The Solexa product currently has a 50% market share in next generation sequencing and can sequence a human genome for under US$10,000.
Balasubramanian also won the Commercial Innovator of the Year category.
Dr Michael McArthur from the John Innes Centre was awarded £5,000 as the winner of Most Promising Innovator of the Year for his work on using novel antibacterials to combat drug resistant bacterial infections.
Science and Innovation Minister Lord Drayson said: ‘Turning research into innovation is crucial for our future prosperity. Finding practical applications for scientific discoveries is part of the joy of science. Today's winners make science exciting and relevant, with the potential to generate great benefits for our economy and society.’
Balasubramanian accepted the Innovator of the Year Award on behalf of the many people who have made important contributions to the Solexa project, particularly his departmental colleague, Prof David Klenerman, with whom he co-founded Solexa in 1998.
‘None of this would have happened without the support of BBSRC. Their backing was essential for the blue skies research that gave rise to our original inventions. The continued funding of fundamental science by BBSRC will be an essential part of future enterprises and ultimately, wealth creation,’ he said.
The Innovator of the Year Award, now in its second year, recognises and rewards scientists who are ensuring that the UK's bioscience research is translated into outcomes that positively affect quality of life for everyone.
You may also like
Research & Development
ProImmune and Roslin Institute collaborate to develop species-specific Ankyron binders for veterinary immunology
Immunological reagents specialist ProImmune has partnered with the University of Edinburgh's Roslin Institute to generate and validate novel species-specific binding proteins for porcine, bovine, avian and salmonid research, addressing a critical shortage of high-quality veterinary immunology reagents
Research & Development
Siemens Healthineers launches blood-based pTau217 and BDTau research assays for Alzheimer's and neurological disease
Siemens Healthineers has made two automated brain biomarker assays available for research use, offering scientists a less invasive blood-based alternative to cerebrospinal fluid testing for investigating neurological disease progression and early Alzheimer's detection
You need to be a subscriber to read this article.
Click here to find out more.
Click here to find out more.
Research & Development
Atrogi doses first subjects in human trial of exercise-mimicking oral therapy ATR-258
The Swedish biotech has initiated a human trial of ATR-258, a first-in-class oral β2-adrenergic receptor modulator designed to replicate the metabolic effects of exercise, including fat loss and muscle preservation, without the cardiovascular side effects associated with traditional β2-agonists
Drug Delivery
New cancer drug delivery system boosts absorption of Paclitaxel
Researchers from Osaka Metropolitan University have developed a drug-delivery system that effectively delivers anticancer medication to cancerous tissues, potentially offering a solution for therapeutics that are difficult to absorb
Research & Development
3PBIOVIAN and Colombia's National Cancer Institute partner to develop first locally produced oncology biosimilar
The CDMO has signed an agreement with Colombia's Instituto Nacional de Cancerología to develop a biosimilar monoclonal antibody for an oncology indication, with technology transfer planned to enable domestic manufacturing