Wiley Current Protocols Method Prize for Nucleic Acid Chemistry awarded

The editors of Current Protocols in Nucleic Acid Chemistry (CPNC) were pleased to award the first Current Protocols Method Prize for Nucleic Acid Chemistry to Anna-Skrollan Geiermann (University of Tokyo) for the poster presentation, "Native Chemical Ligation of Hydrolysis-Resistant RNA-Peptide Conjugates That Bind to the Ribosome," at the recent XXI IRT–International Roundtable of Nucleosides, Nucleotides, and Nucleic Acids conference held in Poznan, Poland August 24-28. The second prize was received by Ivo Sarac (University of Hamburg), for the "Solid Phase Synthesis of DNA and RNA 5'-Triphosphates Using Cyclosal Phosphoramidites" poster.

"This important award was created to honor and support a researcher who presents a novel bench or computational method, or an innovative improvement on an existing method," commented Ann Boyle, Senior Developmental Editor with Current Protocols. "We were looking for the significant technical advance to be a primary focus of the presentation." Based on the quality and volume of submissions, the CPNC Editorial Board was pleased to select the two awardees. "The main criterion for selecting the poster award was to ensure that the subject matter could be a basis as a protocol for CPNC," added Yogesh Sanghvi, CPNC editor. On behalf of the all of the CPNC Editors, the staff of Current Protocols congratulates Anna and Ivo.

Current Protocols plans to expand the prize over time, offering it at conferences covering a variety of disciplines in the life sciences. "Laboratory protocols are the backbone of all scientific research. We want to recognize and celebrate the entrepreneurial efforts of the researchers who lay the foundation for future discoveries," said Virginia Chanda, Executive Editor for Current Protocols.

First Prize: Anna-Skrollan Geiermann

Department of Chemistry, University of Tokyo.

Poster Presentation: Native Chemical Ligation of Hydrolysis-Resistant RNA-Peptide Conjugates That Bind to the Ribosome

This approach creates efficient access to hydrolysis-resistant, biologically active 3'-peptidyl-tRNA mimics. Hydrolysis-resistant RNA-peptide conjugates that mimic peptidylated tRNA termini are valuable compounds for functional and structural studies of the ribosome. The senior author of this poster, Ada Yonath (Weizmann Institute of Science) was the winner of the 2009 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

Second Prize: Ivo Sarac

Department of Chemistry and the University of Hamburg

Poster Presentation: Solid Phase Synthesis of DNA and RNA 5'-Triphosphates Using Cyclosal Phosphoramidites

DNA 5'-triphosphates serve as substrates for gene synthesis and RNA 5'-triphosphates have a broader spectrum of applications including use as antiviral and anticancer compounds. The described method is compatible with oligonucleotide synthesizers allowing for the convenient automated synthesis of DNA and RNA oligonucleotide 5'-triphosphates. Dr. Sarac works in the laboratory of Chris Meier.

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