For the second year running EUROHORCS, an organisation comprising the European heads of national research councils, and the European Science Foundation (ESF) awarded prizes for exceptional young researchers. This year, physicist Ilka Brunner and three biologists, Lucas Pelkmans, Daniel Gerlich and Patrick Meraldi were among those who were awarded one of the prizes; all of them researchers at ETH Zurich. "Scientists are often in the early stages of their career when they formulate new ideas which later lead to paradigm shifts or a Nobel Prize. To support creativity and progress in science we need to focus on the next generation of scientists and give them independence to pursue their own ideas," justifies Bertil Andersson, CEO of ESF the creation of this financially attractive prize. Andersson is also a member of the Nobel Committee. "We have to foster these talented young scientists and make Europe even more competitive as far as creativity and innovation is concerned," says Andersson.

Working on string-theory

So, what did the young ETH scientists receive their prizes for? The work of Ilka Brunner from the ETH Institute for Theoretical Physics is devoted to string-theory, the most promising approach today to unite the general theory of relativity and the standard model of particle physics. In particular, she analyses multi-dimensional membranes (so-called D-Branes), which play an important part in string-theory. The 34-year old scientist, who holds dual US / German citizenship, did postdoctoral research at Rutgers University (New Jersey) and CERN before she came to ETH Zurich in October 2004. "The prize opens up the possibility of building up one's own team and is thus an interim step on the way to a permanent job," says Ilka Bruner. The funds would be used almost exclusively for personnel–plans included a postdoctoral researcher and a PhD student–and to finance travel and invitations to other scientists.

Daniel Gerlich develops technologies that can quantify regulatory processes in living human cells and then model them on the computer. To do this he uses a systems-biological approach, which explores spatial and temporal networks of proteins. One good example of a dynamic process is the division of cells. Gerlich wants to identify the protein networks and genes involved and compare cell division in healthy and pathogenic cells. Ultimately, this could serve our understanding of some illnesses, such as cancer. The 33-year old German citizen was a postdoctoral student at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory in Heidelberg before he started work at the Institute of Biochemistry at ETH Zurich in July 2005.

Impetus for the future: Four promising ETH researchers can now set up their own research teams thanks to a EURYI Award. Top: theoretical physicist, Ilka Brunner (left) and biologist Lucas Pelkmans; bottom: Daniel Gerlich (left) and Patrick Meraldi, also biologists.

Cell division research

Patrick Meraldi also works on cell division. His interest, however, focuses on so-called kinetochores, which mediate the attachment when paired-off chromosomes are pulled apart during cell division. Faulty kinetochores lead to an imbalance of in the division of the chromosomes, such as that which occurs in patients with Down's syndrome, or which is observed in many types of tumours.

The kinetochores of human chromosomes consist of hundreds of proteins, of which only about 30 or 40 have been identified. Meraldi has already discovered various new proteins and is now tracking down further kinetochore proteins and exploring their function and complex organisation. The soon-to-be 33-year old Swiss researcher has worked at the Institute of Biochemistry at ETH Zurich since April 2005. "For me the prize is a great reward and an ideal opportunity to start my own group with people who have been working with me here at ETH since April," says Meraldi. "Now I can finance two PhD students and another position and for the next five years I can concentrate on my research."

Transport network through the cell membrane

The fourth young ETH scientist to receive an award this year is Lucas Pelkmans, also a biologist. The Dutch citizen is 30 years old and submitted his project while working at the Max-Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology in Dresden. In the meantime, Pelkmans changed to ETH Zurich where, from 1999 until 2002 he worked as a PhD assistant under the supervision of Ari Helenius. He will realise his EURYI project at the ETH Institute of Molecular Systems Biology (IMSB). Pelkmans investigates what transport routes exist through the cell membrane, how these routes build spatial and temporal networks and how this membrane system processes information and translates them into reactions (of shape, movement or attachment of the cell) (1). Underlying processes such as these are the basis for the correct functioning of individual cells in a multicellular environment. For instance, if they go wrong, a tumour may result. Pelkmans wants to carry out quantitative analyses of these processes, together with mathematicians and computer scientists at IMSB and develop comprehensive predictive models.

For him too the prize means that he continue his research with no distractions. "This is precisely what young scientists need if they start their own team. Now I have financial freedom to build a small team," says Pelkmans. "I don't have to spend time writing supporting reports for applications–I can concentrate fully on the research."