The international scientific community is called to submit applications for the premiere of the world’s first award for cutting edge contributions to the progress of life sciences through lipidomics. Individual researchers and their ongoing projects can be nominated for the 2019 “Lipidomics Excellence Award” (LEA), a globally unique award for researchers from both academia and industry. Applications shall be submitted until 30 March, 2019 via the online submission form. Prof. Dr. Kai Simons, Professor and Director Emeritus at Max-
Planck-Institute for Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics Dresden and Founder and CEO of Lipotype, explains: “Today, blood analyses are standard when it comes to disease research. However, more than 99% of all blood ‘fats’, the so-called lipids, are mostly ignored. Despite the broad consensus that those can be strong markers for disease and biological processes, research remains limited in this field. We think it is high time to shine a brighter light on lipidomics and therefore decided to launch this new award.”
What is lipidomics?
Lipidomics establishes itself as crucial scientific field when it comes to progress in life sciences in general and in industries such as pharma, biotech, food, cosmetics and clinical as well as academic research in particular. The “science of the lipids” focusses on the analysis of lipids and their role for certain processes in various fields – for instance, many major diseases such as Alzheimer’s, diabetes, and cancer are already known to involve lipids; lipids are essential components of our diet as well as our skin. In order to better understand lipids and their importance and function, both industry and academic research is dependent on state of the art lipid analysis. Lipotype developed an effective routine called Lipotype Shotgun Lipidomics that allows for the analysis of hundreds of lipids in only a few minutes with absolute quantification. “By offering these lipid analysis services, Lipotype paves the way for breakthrough lipidomics and provides the means for international experts to enhance their research by opening up new opportunities and possibilities”, says Dr. Oliver Uecke, Head of Business Development and Finance. LEA calls for international excellence in lipidomics The award wants to reward innovation and the drive for novelty in researchers who strike out in a new direction using lipidomics. “We would like to show that lipid analysis can really make a difference by providing new data and a deeper insight into the lipid cosmos”, Prof. Simons explains. Applicants are asked to outline their idea for a project or research approach whose results they think can be boosted by a detailed lipid analysis. A group of internationally renowned experts will screen the applications and select the winner who will receive 55,000 EUR worth of analysis services in order to put their idea to test. The winner will be presenting their research at an internationally leading experts summit for lipids and lipidomics, the EMBO Workshop “Lipid function in health and disease” in Dresden (Sept 27th – 30th, 2019).
The Award At A Glance
The Prize
The first price equals a total value of up to 55,000 EUR; second prize equals a total value of up to 10,000 EUR; third prize equals a total value of 1,500 EUR.
Focus
Worldwide; academia and industry alike
Criteria
LEA recognizes individuals with ongoing research projects which are bound to benefit from lipid analysis. This includes for example: basic science, clinical, medical and pharmacological research, nutrition, diet and food investigations, as well as dermatological and cosmetic explorations. All applications are evaluated in terms of how they advance lipidomics. Novelty, approach and relevance in their field of research are also factors to be judged.
The Jury
The selection panel is composed of Britta Brügger, Professor for Biochemistry/Chemical Biology at Biochemistry Center Heidelberg University, Pietro De Camilli, Professor for Neuroscience and Cell Biology at Yale School of Medicine, Ari Helenius, Professor emeritus for Biochemistry at ETH Zurich and Kai Simons, Professor and Director emeritus at Max-
Planck-Institute for Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics Dresden and Founder and CEO of Lipotype GmbH.
Award Ceremony
The first prize winner will be invited to the EMBO workshop “Lipid function in health and disease” which takes place 27–30 September 2019 in Dresden, Germany. A press conference will be held to present the project and formally handover the LEA 2019 trophy. LEA is supported by LIPID MAPS, SwissLipids and Lipotype. For more information please visit the LEA 2019 website.
