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
Cirena and Epigenica launch technologies to accelerate genome editing and epigenomic research
Two life sciences companies have announced new technologies designed to address long-standing bottlenecks in genome editing and epigenomic analysis, offering faster timelines and improved reproducibility for researchers in academia and industry
Research & Development
AdvanCell partners with 48Hour Discovery on peptide-based lead-212 radiotherapeutic
The pair will develop a novel peptide-based Lead-212 radiotherapeutic targeting a gastrointestinal cancer with significant unmet need, strengthening AdcanCell's pipeline of differentiated targeted alpha therapies
Research & Development
Baseline Therapuetics launches to advance GLP-1 Phase III Programme in Alcohol Use Disorder
The clinical-stage biotech has launched to progress BT-001, a once-weekly GLP-1 receptor agonist, into FDA-aligned Phase III trials for alcohol use disorder, with studies planned to begin in 2026
Research & Development
Researchers identify early signs of Parkinson's in the blood
Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology have identified early-stage Parkinson’s disease biomarkers detectable in blood, revealing a limited diagnostic window that could enable screening and earlier intervention years before motor symptoms appear
Research & Development
iXCells and Rosebud Biosciences pair up to advance organoid-based models for rare diseases
The expansion of iXCells’ iPSCore platform with integration of 3D human organoid expertise will enable evaluation of drug toxicity and tissue-specific responses, meeting growing demand for scalable, patient-relevant human models to support translational decision-making in drug development