UK Scientist Awarded 2008 Young European Investigator Award

Now in its 14th year of running, the Eppendorf Young European Investigator Award, in partnership with the scientific journal Nature, honours outstanding work in biomedical research for those 35 years of age and under. The 2008 prize was awarded to Dr Simon Boulton, 35, of the London Research Institute (Clare Hall Laboratories, South Mimms, Hertfordshire, UK) for his research into DNA damage.

Dr Simon Boulton won the prize for his groundbreaking research into SPAR1, a newly discovered helicase. Dr Boulton’s findings indicate SPAR1 plays a paramount role in the repair of double-stranded DNA breaks through homologous recombination (HRC). It was discovered that mice with deactivated SPAR1 died of dramatic genome instability after 11 days thus indicating deregulation of HRC, due to missing SPAR1, to be the cause.

Such mechanisms play an important role in the development of certain tumours and, based on a detailed insight into this SPAR1 function, therapeutic approaches to combat specific tumours have already been developed. A prospective therapeutic drug is already being clinically tested.

The presentation of the award took place on November 20th during a gala dinner in Dusseldorf, Germany. The event was attended by distinguished guests from the scientific community and keynote speakers Dr Michael Schroeder, Eppendorf AG Board Member, and Professor Kai Simons, Director of the Max-Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics in Dresden, Germany.