One of the world's leading researchers working on the application of biocatalysis to synthetic organic chemistry has won the the 2007 Prize for Process Chemistry for his longstanding contribution to this area.
Professor Nicholas Turner of the University of Manchester received the award at the Society of Chemical Industry (SCI) Process Development symposium in Cambridge - recieving also a trophy and a £12,000 cash prize to boost his research funds.
Turner is best known for his use of amino acid oxidase enzymes plus chemical reduction to deracemise, or invert the stereochemistry of amino acids. This technology led to the development of novel amine oxidases for the preparation of chiral amines.
Set up by AstraZeneca, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and Pfizer, the aim of the annual awards is to reward the invention of new chemical reactions and processes that address issues facing chemists in the pharmaceutical industry. Biocatalysis is increasingly being viewed as an option for commercial scale manufacture of intermediates in fields such as pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals and flavour & fragrance components.
Turner said: "This type of award, from colleagues in industry, is especially welcome as it recognises the translation of academic research in biocatalysis into potentially useful chemical processes."