The laureate of the world’s first Lipidomics Excellence Award, Prof. Dr. Anne-Claude Gavin from the University of Geneva , uses the analysis technology of Dresden based Lipotype GmbH for the next breakthrough in her lipid transfer research. The biochemist draws the world’s first molecular “map of lipid highways”, she is tracing the ways of lipid transfer between the membranes of body cells.
A map of lipid highways
“Latest research shows that the lipid metabolism plays a major role in the development of diabetes, cancer or Alzheimer’s. Once we have a better understanding of the ways certain lipids cause which effect, we may pave the way for new potential treatment approaches”, the laureate explains her research goal. “Lipidomics helps us answering questions we would not even dare to ask without it. It opens doors that may hold the answer to our civilization diseases.”
Lipidomics in diabetes research
Life science researchers of various disciplines discover Lipotype’s Shotgun Lipidomics Analysis for their projects. So does the diabetes research: “Lipidomics is step by step revealing processes and connections that stay hidden with traditional analysis methods”, says Prof. Dr. Michele Solimena, Professor of Molecular Diabetology, Medical School, TU Dresden, Germany and Director of the Paul Langerhans Institute Dresden, a German Center for Diabetes Research. „In diabetes research we make good progress thanks to lipidomics, e.g. it is now possible to define molecular lipid signatures that tell us about the development of non-diabetic to diabetes type 2 and progression towards diabetes complications.”
Deeper insights into the lipid cosmos
The unique Lipidomics Excellence Award rewards innovation and the drive for novelty in researchers who strike out in a new direction using lipidomics. The winner Prof. Dr. Anne-Claude Gavin’s project idea stood out in a strong competition with numerous international scientists and research teams. Ultimately, a top-class independent jury of renowned lipidomics experts awarded the Geneva-based scientist with the first prize equalizing lipid analyses worth 50,000 EUR.
“We want to shine a light on the fact that lipid analyses really make the difference between research and groundbreaking research: by providing new data one gains an even deeper insight into the lipid cosmos. It is high time to seize the potentials. Let us see what there is still to discover“, says 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.
About LEA
LEA, the Lipidomics Excellence Award, promotes researchers who are eager to contribute to the progress of life sciences with generous research prizes. Three individuals with ongoing research are awarded to support their projects. Applications were open to all researchers from academia and industry.
The winner of the first prize received 55,000 EUR worth of analysis services and present their research at the EMBO Workshop “Lipid function in health and disease” (27.-30.09.2019). A press conference was hold to
present the project and formally handover the LEA 2019 trophy.
LEA is supported by LIPID MAPS, SwissLipids and Lipotype, and the media Journal of Lipid Research, LABO and transkript.
Resources
1 – Materials: Additional press material including photos
2 – Website: The winners of LEA 2019
3 – Press Release: Summary of the Lipidomics Excellence Award press talk
4 – Pressemitteilung: Zusammenfassung der “Lipidomics Excellence Award”-Pressekonferenz
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