Translated by Basque Research.

Emilio José Cocinero, researcher in the Department of Physical Chemistry at the University of the Basque Country(http://grupodeespectroscopia.es/MW/), has reaped a new award in recognition of his scientific career, this time with the SUSCHEM (Spanish Technological Platform for Sustainable Chemistry) Prize, awarded to the best scientific publication by a young researcher in the area of chemistry in 2011, for the article “Sensing the anomeric effect in a solvent-free environment”. (see the news about the article)

The article was published in Nature in January 2011 and describes the results of research co-directed by Mr Cocinero in which, for the first time, what is known as the anomeric effect - which conditions all the chemistry of sugars - was isolated and measured. “The existence of the anomeric effect has been an accepted fact by the scientific community since it was discovered in 1955, but nobody had been able to characterise it. We managed to do so by means of a peptidic probe and through using laser instrumentation. The great weight of the anomeric effect in the chemistry of carbohydrates suggests that its influence on biological chemistry will have to be reassessed”, stated Mr. Cocinero.

The SUSCHEM Awards, held every year, is now in its fourth year, and aims to recognise, provide incentive to and boost scientific and science information activity amongst young chemistry researchers, as well as support the development of the discipline of chemistry itself.

The awards ceremony will take place at the annual congress of the Real Sociedad Española de Química (RSEQ), to be held from the 7th to the 10th of November in the Spanish city of Zaragoza. The cash prize is 1,500 euros and includes a diploma and an invitation to give a speech at this congress. “This award has meant an injection of morale, having been lucky to work in what I like doing and enjoying day-to-day research work. Moreover, the recognition comes from other scientists, meaning we are on the right track”, stressed the young researcher. At this same congress Mr Cocinero will also receive the Sigma- Aldrich Award for the best novel researcher.