Professor Greg Challis, from the University of Warwick's Department of Chemistry, is the Royal Society of Chemistry Interdisciplinary Prize winner for 2017.

Professor Challis’ work focuses on the discovery of antibiotics and other useful natural molecules produced by microorganisms.

“Our ultimate goal”, he says, “is to create new medical and agricultural products to tackle global challenges such as antimicrobial resistance and sustainable agriculture.”

On receiving the prize, Gregory said:

“It is a great honour for me to receive this prize in recognition of the highly interdisciplinary research conducted by the exceptionally talented team of chemists, biologists, mathematicians, physicists and engineers working under my supervision.

"Their passion for and dedication to our shared vision of developing new ways to discover, understand and improve natural products for the benefit of humankind is a source of constant inspiration.”

The Interdisciplinary Prize is awarded for work at the interface between chemistry and other disciplines. Professor Challis receives £5000, a medal and a certificate.

Dr Robert Parker, chief executive of the Royal Society of Chemistry said: “It is an honour to celebrate the innovation and expertise of our community through our prizes and awards.

“We know that chemistry can be a powerful force for good, and quality research and communication of that research are more important than ever before.

“Our charitable mission is to advance excellence in the chemical sciences, and we are proud to celebrate our inspiring and influential winners, who share that mission.”

Our prize winners are evaluated for the originality and impact of their research, as well as the quality of the results, which can be shown in publications, patents, or even software. The awards also recognise the importance of teamwork across the chemical sciences, and the abilities of individuals to develop successful collaborations.

An illustrious list of 50 previous winners of the Royal Society of Chemistry’s awards have gone on to win Nobel Prizes for their pioneering work, including all of the 2016 chemistry winners, Jean-Pierre Sauvage, Fraser Stoddart and Ben Feringa.

9 May 2017

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