Dr Markus Ralser has been awarded the Biochemical Society's
Colworth Medal for his work on the early evolution of cellular
metabolism, and the dynamic nature of metabolism that allows living
cells to adapt to stress situations.
Dr Ralser obtained his PhD at the Max Planck Institute for
Molecular Genetics (MPIMG), Berlin, Germany. After being introduced
to mass spectrometry at the VU Amsterdam, he established a lab at
the MPIMPG for studying basic principles of metabolism. The
lab moved to the University of Cambridge in 2011, and in 2014, the
lab became part of the Francis Crick
Institute.
Responding to the news of the prize, he said, "I feel honoured
to receive with the Colworth Medal which I accept this on behalf of
my amazing students and many senior scientists who have supported
me over the years.
"It is worth mentioning that the first Colworth Medal was
awarded to Hans Kornberg in 1963 for the discovery of the
glyoxylate cycle which is part of my research now. This shows how
long biochemical research can last while still yielding
increasingly exciting insights into how cells
function."
The Colworth Medal is awarded annually to an outstanding
research biochemist under the age of 35 years old and working
mainly in the UK. Dr Ralser will receive the 2017 Colworth Medal
when he delivers his Medal Lecture at a Biochemical Society
conference next year.