Professor Shankar Balasubramanian
Cambridge Professor Shankar Balasubramanian has been named Innovator of the Year by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC). The prize, worth £10,000, is for his work on Solexa sequencing, the high speed genome sequencing technology that means it is now possible to sequence a human genome for less than $10,000. In the mid-90s, Professors Shankar Balasubramanian and David Klenerman of the Department of Chemistry recognised the need for low cost, high throughput sequencing that would enable researchers to undertake large-scale projects. After conceiving various ideas involving DNA sequencing chemistry and detection systems, in 1998 they founded the spin-out company Solexa to commercialise their inventions. In 2007 Solexa was acquired by the US company Illumina for $600m, making it one of the greatest commercialisation success stories to emerge from the University of Cambridge. Receiving his award from Tim Smit, founder of the Eden Project, at a gala dinner in London's East Wintergardens last week, Professor Balasubramanian said: "None of this would have happened without the support of BBSRC. Their backing was essential for the blue skies research that gave rise to our original inventions.
TO READ THIS ARTICLE, CREATE YOUR ACCOUNT
And extend your reading, free of charge and with no commitment.
