Klaus Grohe Prize 2026 Awarded to Edward Tate and Nicolas Winssinger

Tate and Winssinger: Bridging Biology and Chemistry

Professor Dr. Edward Tate, based at Imperial College London and the Francis Crick Institute, is being honored for his foundational work in protein lipidation. His research examines how cells attach fat molecules to proteins, a process that influences thousands of biological functions but was historically difficult to study. According to the award announcement, Tate’s lab developed specialized bioorthogonal probes, now considered the industry gold standard, to track these processes without disrupting cellular activity. His work has direct clinical applications, including the development of inhibitors for N-myristoyltransferase, which play a key role in cancer cell survival.

While Tate focuses on the mechanics of protein modification, Professor Dr. Nicolas Winssinger of the University of Geneva is recognized for his unconventional use of nucleic acids. Rather than using these molecules solely for genetic storage, Winssinger utilizes them to direct chemical reactions and structure. This approach enables the creation of molecular circuits that can sense bodily signals and trigger the release of therapeutic agents. His recent development of a programmable, switchable blood thinner represents a new frontier in safety-critical pharmacology.

Young Scientist Recognition in Basel

On September 9, 2026, the Klaus Grohe Young Young Scientist Award will be presented to Dr. Sebastian Pomplun of Leiden University. The advisory board noted Pomplun’s productivity in synthesizing cell-penetrant miniproteins, which aim to target transcription factors—the primary points of gene regulation. He is also recognized for creating mass spectrometry platforms that allow for more efficient screening of large compound libraries.

Clinical and Basic Research Across Disciplines

While the Klaus Grohe Prize focuses on chemical biology, the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation (BBRF) recently announced its own 2026 honorees on July 15, 2026, focusing on mental health research. As BBRF President and CEO Jeffrey Borenstein, M.D., stated, the goal of these awards is to foster innovation in clinical and basic research that can lead to new treatments.

“The 2026 Klerman and Freedman Prize honorees are advancing some of the most promising frontiers in brain and behavior research, from mood and sleep circuitry and scalable psychotherapies to the neural mechanisms underlying social cognition, myelin biology, and brain-body communication.”

Jeffrey Borenstein, M.D., President & CEO of the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation

The BBRF prizes highlighted several researchers, including Dr. Joline M. Fan of the University of California, San Francisco, who received the Klerman Prize for her work on brain circuitry underlying mood and sleep. Dr. Vineet Augustine of the University of California, San Diego, was awarded the Freedman Prize for his basic research into signal pathways.

Commercial and Academic Trajectories

The impact of these research programs is often felt well beyond the laboratory. For instance, Edward Tate’s transition from basic research to commercial application is marked by his role as a co-founder of Myricx Bio, which has successfully raised over $120 million to develop cancer therapies. These inhibitors are currently poised to move into initial clinical trials. Similarly, the work of researchers like Nili Solomonov at Weill Cornell Medicine, who was an honorable mention for the Klerman Prize, focuses on translating neuroscience into scalable, AI-informed psychotherapies for depression, illustrating a shared trend across disciplines: the drive to move findings from the bench to the bedside.