Three genetic researchers to be honoured with Spain's Asturias Award
Spain's Princess of Asturias Award in the field of research and technology will be awarded to three genetic researchers this year, the foundation behind the prize announced on Wednesday.The work of David Klenerman, Shankar Balasubramanian and Pascal Mayer has helped to make gene sequencing - which used to be very slow and expensive - fast and cost-effective, the Fundación Princesa de Asturias said.The progress was made possible by next-generation DNA sequencing methods developed by Balasubramanian, an Indian-British biochemist, Klenerman, a British researcher, and Mayer, a French biophysicist, at the end of the last century, it said.With their biotechnology company Solexa (now Illumina), the Balasubramanian and Klenerman created a commercial method for fast, cost-effective and efficient genome sequencing, the foundation said. One of its key components was the DNA surface amplification method developed by Pascal Mayer.Before the breakthroughs achieved by the three researchers, sequencing a complete human genome could take many months and cost millions of dollars. Today, it can be done within a day – more than a million times faster – and for less than $1,000.The Princess of Asturias Awards are considered Spain's equivalent of the Nobel Prize.Named after the Spanish heir to the throne, Leonor, they are awarded annually in eight categories and endowed with €50,000 ($60,000) each.Winners also receive a sculpture by Joan Miró. Leonor and her father, King Felipe VI, traditionally present the awards at the end of October in Oviedo.
