AI-guided protein design wins 2026 Eppendorf Award for Young European Investigators

Dr Martin Pačesa of the University of Zurich has been named the winner of the Eppendorf Award for Young European Investigators 2026, recognising his pioneering research on AI-guided de novo design of functional protein binders.

Presented annually by Eppendorf SE, the prestigious €20,000 award honours outstanding early-career life scientists in Europe. Now in its 31st year, the award recognises researchers whose work has made significant contributions to biomedical science.

Pačesa was selected by an independent jury chaired by Professor Laura Machesky (University of Cambridge) for his work on deep learning-based protein design. His research, including the development of the BindCraft platform, enables the accurate and accessible design of functional protein binders, providing powerful new tools for biological research and opening up new opportunities in medicine and biotechnology.

Accepting the award, Pačesa said: "It still feels a bit unreal to receive the 2026 Eppendorf Award for Young European Investigators. This recognition reflects our work on deep learning-based protein design, particularly BindCraft, which enables accurate and accessible design of protein binders. There's still a lot to figure out, but it feels like we are moving towards a point where protein design can become genuinely routine for the everyday biologist."

He also thanked colleagues at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), his new laboratory at the University of Zurich, and the European Research Council for their support.

Two finalists were also recognised. Sebastiaan De Schepper, Assistant Professor and Group Leader at the VIB Center for Molecular Neurology (Belgium), was honoured for his research, Understanding the immune mechanisms driving neurodegenerative diseases along the gut-brain axis. Tanita Wein, Group Leader at the Weizmann Institute of Science (Israel), was recognised for her research, From bacterial defense to human inflammation.

The award ceremony took place on 16 July 2026 at the Advanced Training Center of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg, Germany.

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