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27 March 2008

Enter the W H Pierce Prize  - worth £2,000

Members of the Society for Applied Microbiology (SfAM) are invited to nominate candidates for this year’s W H Pierce Memorial Prize which closes on 30 April 2008.

The W H Pierce Prize was instituted by Oxoid in 1984 to commemorate the life and works of the late W H (Bill) Pierce, former chief bacteriologist of Oxo Ltd and a long-time member of the SfAM, who was a pioneer in the development of dehydrated culture media and a great contributor to the foundation of the Oxoid range.  Awarded annually to a young microbiologist (under 40), the Prize rewards a substantial contribution to the science, with the winner receiving a prize of £2,000 from Oxoid in recognition of their work. 

In 2007, the prize was awarded to Dr Dennis Linton, lecturer in the Faculty of Life Sciences at the University of Manchester, for his work in extending understanding of the persistence and pathogenicity of Campylobacter jejuni.   Dr Linton commented, “The award of the W H Pierce Prize was, of course, a great personal honour as there is no greater reward than the recognition of my fellow microbiologists, and it will continue to be a source of real encouragement for the future.”   Dr Linton’s work focuses on the surface-located glycolipids and glycoproteins of C. jejuni, and their likely, critical role in the interaction with the animal host.  His research aims to increase understanding, at the molecular level, of the biosynthesis of C. jejuni glycoproteins and explores the potential for exploiting these systems for biotechnological applications. It also aims to identify the role of individual phase variable genes to determine their collective role in colonisation and persistence within animal hosts.

Application is through nomination by Full Members of the Society only.  To nominate a candidate for the 2008 W H Pierce Memorial Prize, please write a letter of support and send it, together with the nominee’s full curriculum vitae, to the Society for Applied Microbiology, fax: +44(0)1234 326678 or via www.sfam.org.uk by the closing date of 30 April 2008.  The prize will be awarded at the SfAM Summer Conference in July 2008.