NIOZ researcher Anja Spang wins 2023 Ammodo Science Award

Department

Theme

Logo van AMMODO science award

Ammodo today announced that Tazuko van Berkel, Stan Brouns, Tatiana Filatova, Jingyuan Fu, Merel Keijzer, Daniël Lakens, Hugo Snippert and Anja Spang are the winners of the Ammodo Science Award for fundamental research 2023. The laureates each receive a cash prize of 350,000 euros which they can use in the coming years to explore new avenues of fundamental scientific research. The Ammodo Science Award for fundamental research 2023 is presented to eight scientists across the four scientific domains of Biomedical Sciences, Humanities, Natural Sciences and Social Sciences.

Anja Spang, Endowed Professor of Symbioses in Evolution at the University of Amsterdam and Research Leader at NIOZ, receives the award in the category Natual Sciences for her fundamental study on  Mysterious microbes.  Spang studies the special role that various micro-organisms such as archaea have played in major evolutionary changes, including the origin of eukaryotes to which humans belong. She has discovered an impressive number of new archaea variants in recent years and has found revolutionary evidence in support of the hypothesis that eukaryotic organisms (such as humans) once evolved from a symbiosis between archaea and bacteria. What makes Spang’s research especially relevant at present is that archaea also influence the climate. Exactly what their role there is is a question that Spang plans to focus on in the near future. 

Photo Anja Spang

More information on the laureates and their research can be found at: ammodo-science-award.org

.

Juliette de Wijkerslooth, Ammodo director: "The search for knowledge based on pure curiosity is indispensable and has often led to major scientific breakthroughs. We are therefore proud to present the Ammodo Science Award for fundamental research for the sixth time to eight top scientists who are blazing their own trails. My warmest congratulations to the laureates!"

About the Ammodo Science Award for fundamental research

Every two years, Ammodo presents the Ammodo Science Award for fundamental research to eight outstanding mid-career scientists conducting fundamental research. The Award includes a cash prize of EUR 350,000 and covers all four scientific domains: Humanities, Social Sciences, Natural Sciences and Biomedical Sciences. Winners are selected by advisory committees made up of renowned scientists.

In addition, since 2020, Ammodo has presented the Ammodo Science Award for groundbreaking research in even calendar years, expressing appreciation for research that is internationally recognised, high quality, potentially groundbreaking, and carried out collaboratively. The Ammodo Science Award for fundamental research 2023 will be presented this spring at the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam. For more information, visit ammodo-science-award.org

.