Prof. Robert A. Weinberg receives the Otto Warburg Medal sponsored by QIAGEN

The discoverer of the cancer gene is the pioneer of molecular tumor research

Hamburg, September 17, 2007. As part of the Fall Conference of the German Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (Gesellschaft für Biochemie und Molekularbiologie, GBM), the American scientist Professor Robert A. Weinberg received today the Otto Warburg Medal, sponsored with 25 000 Dollar by QIAGEN. The Otto Warburg Medal has been awarded annually since 1963 by the GBM and is regarded as the most prestigious prize in biochemistry in Germany. Seven former laureates have subsequently been awarded the Nobel Prize.

The fact that it is possible to monitor the development of tumors in Petri dishes is mainly due to the work of today’s laureate, the U.S. scientist Robert Weinberg, from the Massachusetts Institute for Technology (MIT). He has probably contributed more than any other scientist to our understanding of the molecular basis of cancer. His discoveries enabled the development of innovative treatments for cancer and will provide the basis for the development of other and ever more effective treatments.
Prof. Weinberg, together with his research partners, is known as the discoverer of the tumor-causing genes, which play a role in the development of cancer. "Robert Weinberg has not only discovered and characterized all these cancer genes, but using these he was the first to cultivate cancer cells with precisely defined properties", explains Prof. Alfred Wittinghofer, President of the GBM and a research colleague of the prize winner. "Using only three targeted alterations - a mutated oncogene, the silencing of a tumor suppressor gene and a re-activated telomerase - it is possible to convert a wide range of human cell types into cancer cells. This has significantly extended the potential for research into cancer cells and their behavior."

Birgit Jostes, Senior Global Director Corporate Marketing & Strategy QIAGEN about the sponsorship: "Congratulations to Robert Weinberg. We are proud to be able to contribute to his work with our sponsorship of the Otto Warburg Medal. At QIAGEN our mission is to enable our customers to achieve outstanding success and breakthroughs in life sciences, applied testing, pharma, and molecular diagnostics. Robert Weinberg has clearly set standards in molecular tumor research."

Manfred Braun
Manager
GBM e.V.
Tel.: +49 (0)69-660567-12
Email: braun@gbm-online.de
http://www.gbm-online.de

Kerstin Oschütz
For: QIAGEN GmbH
Tel.: +49 (0)40-39907391
Email: kerstin.oschuetz@t-online.de
http://www.qiagen.com

About the GBM:
The German Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (GBM) is Germany's largest association of bioscientists. With its almost 5500 members, its aim is to provide support to all those who work towards and conduct research in the dynamic and innovative interdisciplinary fields of chemistry, medicine and biology - from professor to first-term student.
Research teams, journalists, German government agencies and other professional associations - whoever requires expertise in aspects of biochemistry and the molecular biosciences will first contact the GBM.

About QIAGEN:
QIAGEN is the world's leading provider of sample and assay technologies and products. Its products are regarded as the standard in fields such as pre-analytical sample preparation and molecular diagnostics. The company's comprehensive portfolio consists of more than 500 products and automation platforms for sample collection, and nucleic acid and protein handling, separation, and purification, for open as well as for targeted tests. QIAGEN products are sold to academic research institutes, to leading pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, to clients in related applied testing fields (such as forensics, animal or food testing, and industrial applications), as well as to molecular diagnostics laboratories.
QIAGEN employs 2600 people worldwide. QIAGEN products are sold through a dedicated sales force and a global network of distributors in more than 40 countries. You can find more information about QIAGEN at www.QIAGEN.com.

This release was published on openPR.