Posted: Sep 09, 2010

2010 Kavli Prize in nanosience awarded to Eigler and Seeman

(Nanowerk News) King Harald of Norway presented the Kavli Prize in Astrophysics, Nanoscience and Neuroscience to the eight laureates from US, Germany and Great Britain at spectacular gala performance at Oslo Concert Hall in Oslo, Norway, on 7 September. Artist and former Minister of Culture Åse Kleveland, and the American actor, director and writer Alan Alda hosted the ceremony.
The laureates in the disciplines of astrophysics, nanoscience and neuroscience were awarded for their groundbreaking discoveries and outstanding work in their fields.
Each of these disciplines represents exciting and fast-growing areas of scientific research in which new discoveries and insights have the potential to make a strong impact on society - as highlighted by Fred Kavli, said the president of The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters, Nils Christian Stenseth, in his speech.
Besides the Kavli Prize's mission to recognize outstanding scientific research and honouring highly creative scientists, Stenseth also pointed out the other important reasons for the prize.
The Kavli Prize also exists to promote public understanding of scientists and their work, and foster international cooperation among scientists. The former is achieved largely through the broad publicity the Kavli Prizes receives - both nationally and internationally, Stenseth said. The Kavli Prizes are awarded every second year, first time in 2008. Their founder is the Norwegian-American businessman and philanthropist Fred Kavli, who was himself present during the ceremony in Oslo Concert Hall.
In his speech Fred Kavli said: "We have selected the fields of astrophysics, nanoscience and neuroscience because we believe that the major discoveries can be made and vast benefits can be harvested from these fields."
He went on to say: "Today we celebrate the best of science by honoring these esteemed scientist, who, with their groundbreaking work, have taken us a step forward on humanity's journey to better understand and utilize nature.
The Kavli Prize in Astrophysics was awarded to Jerry Earl Nelson, of the University of California, Santa Cruz, US, Raymond Neil Wilson, formerly of Imperial College London and the European Southern Observatory, and Roger Angel, of the University of Arizona, Tucson, US, for their respective innovations in the field of telescope design that have allowed us glimpses of ever more distant and ancient objects and events in the remote corners of the Universe.
The Kavli Prize in Nanoscience was awarded to US scientists Donald M. Eigler, of IBM's Almaden Research Centre, San Jose, California, and Nadrian Seeman, of New York University, "for their development of unprecedented methods to control matter on the nanoscale"
Donald Eigler of IBM's Almaden Research Centre and Nadrian Seeman of New York University receive the Kavli Prize in nanoscience from H.M. King Harald
Donald Eigler of IBM's Almaden Research Centre and Nadrian Seeman of New York University receive the Kavli Prize in nanoscience from H.M. King Harald.
The Kavli Prize in Neuroscience was awarded to Thomas Südhof, of Stanford University School of Medicine, Richard Scheller, of the biotech company Genentech, and James Rothman, of Yale University - their work to reveal the precise molecular basis of the transfer of signals between nerve cells in the brain.
Source: Kavli Foundation