Manchester scientists win prestigious Royal Society of Chemistry awards

Five academics from The University of Manchester have been honoured with individual awards by the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC).

The RSC's awards and prizes are awarded in recognition of originality and impact of research, or for each winner's contribution to the chemical sciences industry or education. They also acknowledge the importance of teamwork across the chemical sciences, as well as the abilities of individuals to develop successful collaborations.

Professor Perdita Barran, Professor Nigel Scrutton, Professor Jason Micklefield, Professor Eric Mcinnes and Professor Igor Larrosa, all of the School of Chemistry, were each honoured for work in their respective fields.

Prof Perdita Barran has been named winner of the RSC's prestigious Theophilus Redwood Award. Receiving the award, she said: "I am absolutely delighted. It's a great honour to receive this award, which is shared with all of my group past and present and my great collaborators."

Prof Barran won the award for excellence in the fundamental and applied development of biological mass spectrometry and communication of this work in both print and video media. Her most recent research into novel ways of detecting Parkinson's disease was also recently in the spotlight.

Prof Scrutton won the award for outstanding contributions to enzyme and photoreceptor biophysics and catalysis.

Receiving the award, Prof Scrutton said: "I am delighted and humbled to receive the RSC Interdisciplinary Prize, given the high calibre of previous recipients of this award. The award is received on behalf of all the talented students, research staff and collaborators that I have had the good fortune to work with over the years. These individuals are the ones that have delivered research outcomes in my group and it is entirely appropriate that this award recognises their excellent contributions over the years."

Prof Igor Larrosa has been named winner of the prestigious Corday-Morgan Prize. Prof Larrosa won the award for groundbreaking contributions to organic chemistry.

Prof Jason Micklefield has been named winner of the prestigious Bader Award for innovative contributions to the elucidation of natural product biosynthetic pathways and the development of enzymes for synthesis. Prof Eric McInnes has been awarded with the prestigious Tilden Prize for seminal contributions to the electron paramagnetic spectroscopy of transition metal compounds.