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| Source: Mustafa Prize web page. Professor Ying is on the left, and Professor Yaghi on the right. |
The 2015 Mustafa Prize winners are Professor Jackie Ying, Executive Director of the Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (IBN) of A*STAR in Singapore and Jordanian-American scientist Professor Omar Yaghi of the University of California, Berkeley for the Nano Science and Nanotechnologies Award. Each laureate received US$500,000 in prize money and a medal at an award ceremony in Tehran, Iran on December 25.
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| Source: Mustafa Prize. The Mustafa Prize logo. |
Dr Hassan Zohoor, Chairman of the science committee of Mustafa Prize, said, "In the first three categories, the nominees must be citizens of one of the 57 Islamic countries while in the fourth category the nominee must be Muslim but being citizen of an Islamic country is not mandatory.”
He explained, “Laureates of this prize are selected among 100 works that have been selected for the final arbitration by the jury. These works must be original and innovative and results in a tangible effect in human lives. Also, the nominated scientists must have good international reputation. At the end, and with regard to the criterion described earlier, two scientists were selected in the fields of nano-biotechnology sciences and nanoscience and nanotechnology.”
Professor Ying won the inaugural award for “her great scientific and technological contributions and achievements to the synthesis of well-designed advanced nanostructured materials and systems, nanostructured biomaterials and miniaturised biosystems for various interesting applications.”
“Research is something that I have been really passionate about. It combines the search for an unknown solution to grand challenges that can impact our lives, with the drive to innovate, translate and commercialise. Perhaps the most fulfilling part of the work is the nurturing of young scientists to share my vision and mission to make a difference through our work,” said Professor Ying.
Professor Ying’s research has led to many new materials and systems with unique functionalities and size-dependent properties that tackle major challenges in medicine, chemistry and energy. These inventions have been applied towards drug delivery, cell and tissue engineering, biosensing and diagnostics, catalysis and pharmaceuticals synthesis, battery and fuel cell systems. She has 340 publications in leading journals, and over 150 primary patents issued or pending, many of which have been successfully licensed for commercialisation by multinational companies and startups.
“Amongst the many novel outcomes of her work, Professor Ying’s contribution to the development of stimuli-responsive polymeric nanoparticles that deliver insulin to diabetic patients only when their blood glucose levels are high, without the need for external blood glucose monitoring, is considered an outstanding scientific approach of great promise for improving the quality of life of mankind in the near future,” said Professor Hossein Zohour, Chairman of the Scientific Committee of the Mustafa Prize.
The glucose-sensitive nanoparticles developed by Professor Ying’s laboratory can auto-regulate the release of insulin depending on the blood glucose levels. This drug delivery system bypasses the need for blood glucose monitoring by finger pricks, and allows insulin to be delivered orally or by nasal passage, instead of through injection. This technology would greatly benefit the diabetic patients by helping to prevent hyperglycemic and hypoglycemic conditions and the associated organ damage.
Professor Ying co-founded SmartCells, to commercialise this nanomedicine. This spinoff company was acquired by Merck in 2010, with potential aggregate payments in excess of US$500 million to further develop the technology for clinical trials.
The Mustafa Prize was established in 2013 to recognise leading researchers and scientists of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member states, as well as Muslim researchers from around the world. Presented biennially by the Iranian government, The Mustafa Prize aims to encourage education and research by playing a pioneering role in developing regional relations between science and technology institutions working in the OIC member countries. It also seeks to improve scientific relations between academics and researchers in order to facilitate the growth of science in the OIC member states, the second largest inter-governmental organisation in the world after the United Nations.
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