The 2024 Svedberg Prize is awarded to Björn Reinius, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics at Karolinska Institutet, for his discoveries regarding the gene regulation mechanisms of the X chromosome and his substantial impact on Covid-19 clinical diagnostics.
Congratulations , what does it mean for you to get this prize?
“There are not many Swedish awards in Chemistry, so of course, this recognition means a lot for me personally and it’s a great encouragement that others appreciate the impact of our work. It is moreover special and a great joy for me to receive this particular award in memory of Theodor Svedberg. Some of my strongest memories as a young chemistry student at Uppsala University are from the The Svedberg room in former Kemikum – premises where Theodor once moved”.
What is next?
“I will continue my research in two main tracks, as before. One focus is on method development and improvement of RNA and DNA detection, where we have many interesting things going on in the lab. The other track focuses on gene regulation, where we try to understand how the cell reacts to and compensates for chromosome copy changes. Right now we are in a golden age for research on cell and molecular biology, so it is incredibly exciting to be a part of this”.
How will you celebrate?
“I’ll celebrate with a bottle of Champagne together with my lab members – or maybe two bottles!”
How is the prize ceremony conducted?
“The medal will be awarded in connection with the yearly Swedish Conference on Macromolecular Structure and Function, on which I will also give a talk”.
About the Svedberg prize
The Svedberg prize is awarded in memory of the Swedish chemist Theodor Svedberg (1884 – 1971, more known as The Svedberg) who was a Nobel laureate for his research on colloids and proteins. The unit svedberg (symbol S) is named after him. The prize is awarded to a successful biochemist or molecular biologist who is active in Sweden and who has a doctoral degree not older than 12 years when the prize is awarded. The Svedberg Prize is a scientific recognition awarded annually in connection with the Swedish Conference on Macromolecular Structure and Function (Sweprot). In addition to a medal, the award also includes a prize of SEK 40,000. The Svedberg Prize is awarded by the Swedish ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾ Committee for Molecular Biosciences within the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences (KVA) together with the Swedish Society for Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology (SFBBM), a division within the Swedish Chemical Society.
