Heinrich Emanuel Merck Award for Analytical Science
This award honors scientists who are developing innovative analytical methods in chemistry with new applications that aim to improve human life.
Heinrich Emanuel Merck Award 2019
Prof. David Alsteens is awarded the Heinrich Emanuel Merck Award for Analytical Science by Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany during the Euroanalysis 2019 in Istanbul for his unique work on probing ligand binding on native membrane receptors.
His novel technique offers a unique way to extract the dynamic receptor-ligand interactions from an AFM cantilever while recording high-resolution images of cellular membranes in physiologically relevant conditions. These interactions are of fundamental interest in many disciplines including cell biology, molecular biology, structural biology, biochemistry and biophysics.
2019 laureate
In 2019, Prof. David Alsteens at UC Louvain, Belgium is honored with the Heinrich Emanuel Merck Award for Analytical Science. He has developed a technique to measure ligand-receptor interactions on cell surfaces in native conditions while recording high-resolution images of cellular membranes. David Alsteens is research associate at the Fund for Scientific Research (FNRS) and full professor at the Faculty of Bioscience Engineering at Université catholique de Louvain (UC Louvain).
About the Award
In memory of the company’s founder Heinrich Emanuel Merck the biennial Award stands for excellence in analytical chemistry for over two decades. It is open to researchers up to the age of 45 years who are developing innovative solutions to analytical problems in the life, material and environmental sciences; areas of science that are constantly gaining importance in our daily lives.
2017 Laureate
In 2017 Prof. Francesco Ricci from the University of Rome, Italy received the Heinrich Emanuel Merck Award for Analytical Science for his groundbreaking development of DNA-based sensors. Prof. Ricci developed new strategies for the development of sensors for various diagnostic applications. The principal functions of the sensors are based on the same mechanisms that nature uses for biomolecular receptors. The analytical sensors are able to detect a wide range of antibodies, proteins and further analytes, which are relevant in medicinal research.
Previous Laureates of the Heinrich Emanuel Merck Award
| Year | Name | University/company | Country | Distinguished project |
| 2019 | Prof. David Alsteens | UC Louvain | Belgium | Probing ligand binding to native membrane receptors in physiologically relevant conditions using AFM |
| 2017 | Prof. Francesco Ricci | University of Rome | Italy | DNA-Based Beacon for Single-Step Fluorescence Detection of Proteins |
| 2015 | Prof. Petra Dittrich | ETH Zürich | Switzerland | Microfluidic analytical platforms |
| 2012 | Prof. Aaron R. Wheeler | University of Toronto | Canada | Droplet-scale estrogen assays in breast tissue |
| 2010 | Prof. Luisa Torsi | Bari University | Italy | Organic sensitivity-enhanced field-effect sensors for determination of chiral compounds |
| 2007 | Dr. Alexander Makarov | Thermo Fisher Scientific, Bremen | Germany | Performance evaluation of a hybrid linear ion trap/orbitrap mass spectrometer |
| 2007 | Prof. Dr. Shuming Nie | Emory University, Atlanta | USA | In vivo cancer targeting and imaging with semiconductor quantum dots |
| 2004 | Prof. Yoshinobu Baba | University of Tokushima | Japan | Nanospheres for DNA separation chips |
| 2002 | Prof. Jonathan V. Sweedler | University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign | USA | Measuring the peptides in individual organelles with mass spectrometry |
| 2000 | Prof. Norman Dovichi | University of Alberta |
Canada |
A multiple-capillary electrophoresis system for small-scale DNA sequencing and analysis |
| 1998 | Prof. Renato Zenobi | ETH Zurich | Switzerland | Laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry |
| 1996 | Prof. D. Jed Harrison | University of Alberta | Canada | Micromachining a miniaturized capillary electrophore-based chemical analysis system on a chip |
| 1996 | Prof. Andreas Manz | Imperial College London | Great Britain | Micromachining a miniaturized capillary electrophore-based chemical analysis system on a chip |
| 1993 | Prof. Aviv Amirav | Tel Aviv University | Israel | Pulsed-flame photometer : a novel gas chromatography detector |
| 1990 | Dr. Bidlingmeyer |
Millipore Corporation | USA | Liquid chromatography detectors |
| 1990 | Prof. Reinhard Nießner | Technical University of Munich | Germany | The photoelectric aerosol sensor array applied to heavy metal aerosols |
| 1988 | Prof. Masataka Hiraide | Nagoya University | Japan | Separation of trace elements from high-purity metals |
| 1988 | Prof. Otto S. Wolfbeis | Graz University | Austria | Fluorescence sensors |
Key Facts
- Cycle: Biennial
- Eligibility criteria: Scientists up to the age of 45 who have made valuable contributions to analytical sciences aimed at improving the quality of human life
- Application documents of the candidates: First authorship based on own published research results (no older than 3 years) and a CV
- Award ceremony: The recipients are honored at the Euroanalysis conference.