This year’s research prize awarded by the Eppendorf AG in Hamburg goes to the Netherlands

The 2011 award is the 16th research prize conferred by the Hamburg life science company to honor outstanding work in biomedical research in Europe. This year, the prize was awarded to Assistant Professor Suzan Rooijakkers, PhD, (University Medical Center Utrecht, Department of Medical Microbiology, Utrecht, The Netherlands).

With this award, Eppendorf supports young European scientists up to the age of 35. The Eppendorf Award for Young European Investigators is presented in partnership with the scientific journal Nature. The prize is awarded by an independent committee composed of Prof. Kai Simons (Chairman), Prof. Dieter Häussinger, Prof. Reinhard Jahn and Prof. Martin J. Lohse.

Suzan Rooijakkers, born in 1978, won the prize for her discoveries of how the pathogen Staphylococcus aureus evades immune attack to survive in the human host. She found out that the Staphylococci secrete proteins that block critical steps in the complement cascade. One such protein is the unique complement inhibitor SCIN that she found to inhibit the C3 convertase, which is required for the complement system to tag the bacteria for destruction.

The results of Suzan Rooijakkers are creating new inroads into developing drugs against inflammatory and infectious diseases.

Suzan Rooijakkers was not able to accept the Eppendorf Award personally due to health reasons. Prof. Jos van Strijp (University Medical Center Utrecht, Department of Medical Microbiology) received the Award on her behalf and presented her research work to the audience at the EMBL Advanced Training Centre in Heidelberg, Germany.

Dr. Axel Jahns (Vice President Marketing Support of Eppendorf AG) and Prof. Iain Mattaj (Director General EMBL) welcomed the audience of 80 guests from the scientific community, related industry and the press. The laudatio honoring Suzan Rooijakkers’ achievements was held by Prof. Kai Simons, Director Emeritus of the Max-Planck-Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics in Dresden, Germany.

Photos of the event, the laudatio and more information on the Eppendorf Award can be found at www.eppendorf.com/award

Eppendorf is a biotech company which develops, produces and distributes systems for use in all spheres of life science. The company's broad range of high quality products and systems is used by researchers worldwide to efficiently carry out their work.
The product range includes pipettes, dispensers and centrifuges as well as consumables such as micro test tubes and pipette tips. In addition to this, Eppendorf provides instruments and systems for automated liquid handling. Even a complete range of devices for DNA amplification for standard PCR or real-time PCR as well as systems for cell manipulation and electroporation are available. New Brunswick Scientific, Edison, USA, stands for expertise and top products within the Eppendorf Group in the field of cell growth, detection and storage.
Eppendorf products are designed for academic and commercial research facilities, but also for industrial companies in the field of biotechnology and in other sectors using biotech research processes. Innovative research approaches will call for miniature applications with an increased sample throughput for future diagnostics and therapy. This implies a trend towards automation and a level of reproducibility for which the company's high level of technology and expertise will be sought after on the market.
Eppendorf is represented in all important markets worldwide. Although the company is placing main emphasis on North America as the regional market, Asia has a high potential with dynamic rates of growth.
Eppendorf was founded in Hamburg in 1945 and has more than 2500 employees worldwide. The company has subsidiaries in 18 countries and is represented in many other markets by distributors.

Eppendorf AG
Bettina Doerler
public relations officer
Barkhausenweg 1
22339 Hamburg
doerler.b@eppendorf.de
+49 40 538 01-640

This release was published on openPR.