The German Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (GBM) and Elsevier with its flagship Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) journal series honor the biochemist for her groundbreaking research on the function of ribosomes.

On Thursday afternoon, the German Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (GBM) in cooperation with Elsevier with its flagship Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) journal series, presented the award winner of the Otto Warburg Medal. Prof. Dr. Marina Rodnina from the Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry was honored for her innovative research on understanding the structure and function of ribosomes. The scientist receives 25,000 Euros in prize money for further research.

“Prof. Rodnina's research has not only revealed central principles of the function of ribosomes, but has also revolutionized ribosome research as a whole and contributed considerably to the understanding of protein complexes,” said Prof. Dr. Annette Beck-Sickinger, President of GBM. “We are very pleased to award the Otto Warburg Medal 2019 to such a dedicated scientist.”

Rodnina is regarded as an expert in the field of research into large protein complexes. She developed new methods to investigate the functions of ribosomes and contributed to the elucidation of protein biosynthesis. Together with colleagues, she solved how the ribosome can synthesize the proteins rapidly and accurately, how it makes peptide bonds and how it moves along the messenger RNA.

“The Otto Warburg Medal is associated with excellence in science, which is of great importance to us,” explained Petra Ullrich, Marketing Director Europe at Elsevier. “This is also the basis for our long-standing partnership and trusting cooperation with the GBM. In this case, I am particularly pleased to honor a female scientist whose research makes a significant contribution to the function of ribosomes. With her research work, Professor Marina Rodnina is an inspiration and a role model for young female researchers.”

The Otto Warburg Medal has been awarded since 1963 and is regarded as the highest German prize in the field of biochemistry and molecular biology. Among the previous winners are leading international scientists such as Prof. Dr. Peter Hegemann and Prof. Emmanuelle Charpentier. Since 2012, the information analytics company Elsevier and the scientific journal BBA have served as exclusive cooperation partners and sponsors of the Otto Warburg Medal. The medal includes a monetary prize of 25,000 Euros.

This year, the prize was awarded at the joint fall conference of the GBM and the German Society for Cell Biology (DGZ) at the Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen. Prof. Rodnina received the medal personally in the afternoon.

About Gesellschaft für Biochemie und Molekularbiologie, GBM
The German Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (Gesellschaft für Biochemie und Molekularbiologie, GBM) is the association of about 5,300 scientists working in the field of Molecular Life Sciences.
Most members of the GBM are German scientists from universities, industry and other research institutions, covering the entire spectrum of basic and applied Molecular Life Sciences.
The aim of the GBM is to promote basic and applied research as well as education in the fields of biochemistry, molecular biology and molecular medicine.

About Elsevier
Elsevier is a global information analytics business that helps scientists and clinicians to find new answers, reshape human knowledge, and tackle the most urgent human crises. For 140 years, Elsevier has partnered with the research world to curate and verify scientific knowledge. Today, they are committed to bringing that rigor to a new generation of platforms. Elsevier provides digital solutions and tools in the areas of strategic research management, R&D performance, clinical decision support, and professional education; including ScienceDirect, Scopus, SciVal, ClinicalKey and Sherpath. Elsevier publishes over 2,500 digitized journals, including The Lancet and Cell, 39,000 e-book titles and many iconic reference works, including Gray's Anatomy. Elsevier is part of RELX Group, a global provider of information and analytics for professionals and business customers across industries. www.elsevier.com

Press contact:
Dr. Anke Lischeid
Managing Director, GBM
+49 69 660567-12
lischeid@gbm-online.de
www.gbm-online.de

Stefanie Schulz-Rittich
Senior Associate Director, APCO Worldwide
+49 30 59 000 20-32
<span style="background-color%3A #ffffff;">sschulzrittich@apcoworldwide.com</span>