A Thornhill scientist has won a prestigious Royal Society of Chemistry prize.
Dr Stephen Wallace, who now lives in Edinburgh, has been named winner of the Royal Society of Chemistry’s Norman Heatley Award in recognition of brilliance in research and innovation.
Based at the University of Edinburgh, Dr Wallace won the prize for the development of chemical tools and microbial biocatalysts for sustainable synthesis.
All the winners join a prestigious list of past winners in the RSC’s prize portfolio, 60 of whom have gone on to win Nobel Prizes for their work, including 2022 Nobel laureate Carolyn Bertozzi and 2019 Nobel laureate John B Goodenough.
Dr Wallace, who also receives £3,000 and a medal, said: “It is an incredible honour to be awarded this year’s Norman Heatley Prize from the RSC.
“Exploring biology through the lens of a chemist has been a fascinating journey for me, and one that I’m excited to continue with my research group.
“And like biology, the chemistry-biology interface is always evolving. I cannot think of a more fascinating area of science right now, and a nicer community to be a part of.
“Thank you so much.”
Chemical synthesis is a key driver of industrial CO2 emissions worldwide. Research in this area must evolve in the coming years to help address the global climate crisis by developing new synthetic methods that are both greener and no longer reliant on fossil fuels.
Dr Wallace’s research aims to re-programme living bacteria to transform waste feedstocks into valuable industrial products through the use of synthetic biology, and to expand the chemistry of micro organisms using biocompatible reactions.
Dr Helen Pain, chief executive of the RSC, said: “The prizes programme enables us to reflect on and celebrate the incredible individuals and teams whose brilliance enriches our knowledge, advances our understanding, and brings new ideas and technologies that benefit society as a whole.
“We’re very proud to recognise the contributions of our winners today.”
