Philipp Kukura awarded Royal Society Faraday Discovery Fellowship

Professor Philipp Kukura FRS, a member of the Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery and Oxford’s Department of Chemistry, has been awarded a Royal Society Faraday Discovery Fellowship.

The 10-year fellowship will support Kukura and his team in developing a new technology for mass measurement of individual molecules, with the aim of uncovering the processes that control biological function and understanding what goes wrong in disease. 

The project will introduce a new experimental platform to study two processes in the first instance: how biomolecules self-assemble into objects that look like viruses, and the exact mechanism by which biomolecules become targeted for destruction. The research could potentially help improve cell and gene therapies and possibly identify ways to remove disease-associated molecules.

Reflecting on the award, Kukura said: ‘I am incredibly grateful for this award – it gives the team at Oxford and our collaborators the time and security to really challenge the status quo and make a step change in our ability to understand biological function and regulation, and thereby optimise routes to intervention.’

He added: ‘The Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery is a dream location for physical scientists to develop new approaches to enable biological studies and measurements that are currently impossible. It provides the perfect environment to balance pushing the boundaries of what is technologically feasible with what actually makes a difference in life science research.’

The Faraday Discovery Fellowships support exceptional mid-career research leaders to pursue ambitious, long-term research and build world-leading scientific teams in the UK.

Sir Paul Nurse, President of the Royal Society, said: ‘This impressive new cohort of Royal Society Faraday Discovery Fellows is exploring some of the most exciting questions in science. Backing exceptional researchers at our world-leading institutions is essential to advancing science and these 10-year fellowships provide the time and support needed to pursue bold, curiosity-driven research, build world-leading groups and establish global research partnerships. Together, they will help secure the UK's position at the forefront of scientific discovery and inspire the next generation of research talent.’