The 53rd Rosenstiel Award for Distinguished Work in Basic Medical Research has been awarded to Vallee Visiting Professor Wolfgang Baumeister , PhD (Max-Planck Institute in Martinsreid, Germany) for his pioneering work in the development of cryo-electron tomography and for his insights into the structures and functions of the protein quality control machinery.

Baumeister’s visionary drive to find a way to study molecular machines in their native contexts has made it possible to study cells in a close-to-living state in three dimensions with resolution approaching the sub-nanometer range. This is a revolutionary advance that will allow us to understand the cellular milieu in a way never before possible. In particular, his lab has explored in near-atomic detail the proteasome complex that is responsible for the targeted degradation of proteins, and has led the way to the study of other macromolecular assemblies and their arrangement within the cell.

Other VVPs who have received the Rosenstiel Award include Erin Schuman (2022), Susan Lindquist (2016), F Ulrich Hartl (2007), Gary Ruvkun (2004), and Torsten Wiesel (1971).

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