Oxoid invites members of the Society for Applied Microbiology (SfAM) to nominate candidates for this year's WH Pierce Memorial Prize, which closes on 30 April 2008
The WH Pierce Prize was instituted by Oxoid in 1984 to commemorate the life and works of the late WH (Bill) Pierce, former chief bacteriologist of Oxo and a long-time member of the SfAM, who was a pioneer in the development of dehydrated culture media and a great contributor to the foundation of the Oxoid range.
Awarded annually to a young microbiologist (under 40), the prize rewards a substantial contribution to the science, with the winner receiving a prize of £2000 from Oxoid in recognition of their work.
In 2007, the prize was awarded to Dennis Linton, lecturer in the faculty of life sciences at the University of Manchester, for his work in extending understanding of the persistence and pathogenicity of Campylobacter jejuni.
Linton commented, "The award of the WH Pierce Prize was, of course, a great personal honour as there is no greater reward than the recognition of my fellow microbiologists, and it will continue to be a source of real encouragement for the future".
Linton's work focuses on the surface-located glycolipids and glycoproteins of C jejuni, and their likely critical role in the interaction with the animal host.
His research aims to increase understanding, at the molecular level, of the biosynthesis of C jejuni glycoproteins and explores the potential for exploiting these systems for biotechnological applications.
It also aims to identify the role of individual phase variable genes to determine their collective role in colonisation and persistence within animal hosts.
Application is through nomination by full members of the society only.
