David Syme Research Prize awarded to A/Prof Marco Herold and Dr Fan Wang
The prize is one of the oldest and most prestigious science awards in Australia and is awarded annually to the producer of the best original work in biology, physics, chemistry or geology.
Associate Professor Marco Herold from the Blood Cellls and Blood Cancer Division at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute was awarded for his research on adapting the CRISPR system to advance clinical research. Dr Fan Wang from the University of Technology Sydney was awarded for his physics research into the nanoscale biological world.
The David Syme Research Prize is named after the owner of The Age newspaper, David Syme, who in 1904 bequeathed £3000 for the foundation of a research prize. More than a century later, the David Syme Research Prize – administered by the University of Melbourne – is awarded annually to the producer of the best original research in Australia during the two years preceding the award. Preference is given to work of value in the industrial and commercial interests of Australia.
Dr Fan Wang Source: University of Technology Sydney &
Associate Professor Marco Herald. Source: Walter and Eliza Hall Institute
Associate Professor Marco Herold (Biology)
Blood Cells and Blood Cancer Division, WEHI
Title of Research: Adapting the CRISPR system to advance fundamental, translational, and clinical research
Associate Professor Marco Herold uses cutting edge genetic modification technologies to generate sophisticated laboratory tools used worldwide. The tools he has developed have advanced a myriad of health research endeavours. He has uncovered key roles for cell death pathways in cancer, developed new technologies to identify cancer-causing genetic mutations and new anti-cancer drug targets, created animal models that enable more efficient preclinical testing of new drugs, and developed a diagnostic tool for rapid detection of infectious disease or cancer.
With an overarching focus on the control of cancer cell survival and identification of genes involved in the development of normal and malignant blood cell production, Herold uses CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing technology to generate sophisticated in vitro (test tube) and in vivo (using living organisms) models to investigate human disease. ‘The ultimate goal of my research,’ A/Prof Herold says, ‘is to develop drugs that kill chemo-resistant tumour cells to improve outcomes for cancer patients.’
Dr Fan Wang (Physics)
School of Electrical and Data Engineering, University of Technology Sydney
Title of Research: To touch, to see, to feel the nanoscale world
Dr Fan Wang works on developing innovative biophotonics technologies that enable the visualisation, manipulation and inspection of the nanoscale biological world. His optical tweezers probe increases trapping force by orders of magnitude. The resultant optical ‘force dye’, which stain cells for increased optical force and colouring, is the first of its kind in the world. ‘Overlapping the image of the emitter with a mirror-reflected image allows us to sense the movement of molecules with one-nanometre resolution,’ Dr Wang explains. ‘That’s about 1/80,000th of the diameter of a human hair.’ These technologies create breakthroughs in fundamental science and provide tools for biologists to understand the fundamentals of life, simultaneously generating commercialisation opportunities in scientific instrumentation.
Dr Wang’s research impacts nanomaterials, optics, biomedical imaging and optical sensing devices, ultimately leading to novel and precise ways to detect pathogens.