The BIO Rosalind Franklin Award for Leadership in Industrial Biotechnology

Honoring outstanding women in industrial biotechnology and bioprocessing

The Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) is proud to announce the creation of the BIO Rosalind Franklin Award for Leadership in Industrial Biotechnology to be presented at the BIO Pacific Rim Summit on Industrial Biotechnology held December 7-9, 2014 in San Diego, California. This new annual award will honor an outstanding woman in the field of industrial biotechnology and bioprocessing.

About Rosalind Franklin:

Just as Rosalind Franklin paved the way for women in the biotechnology field, the BIO Rosalind Franklin Award will be presented to a pioneering woman in the industrial biotechnology sector who has made significant contributions to the advancement of the biobased economy and biotech innovation. The Rosalind Franklin Award will stand as a lasting memory to the legacy left by Rosalind Franklin, who was instrumental in the discovery and our greater understanding of the molecular structure of DNA, by honoring those women who too have made significant contributions in industrial biotechnology. Through Rosalind Franklin’s use of X-ray diffraction images, the true double helix structure of DNA was discovered. Indeed, it was with the help of Franklin’s images and writings that eventually led Francis Crick and James Watson to release their 1953 model of the structure of DNA.  Though often overlooked, Rosalind Franklin’s critical work and discovery in the field has allowed the expansive growth of the biotechnology industry to become what it is today. As said by John Desmond Bernal, a fellow X-ray crystallographer, of Franklin’s crystallographic portraits of DNA, “Her photographs were among the most beautiful X-ray photographs of any substance ever taken.”

Award Purpose:

With this award we hope to not only honor Rosalind Franklin’s legacy, but honor those women who have also shown exemplary leadership and led the way through previously uncharted territory. Note: Awardees are expected to commit to being present to receive the award and to giving ten to fifteen minutes of remarks at a plenary session when they accept the award in person at a BIO conference.

Nomination Criteria:

Nominees should be visionaries, exhibit leadership qualities, and have pioneered efforts in industrial biotechnology and related fields and applicants should demonstrate significant innovative contributions in a field integral to the advancement of a biobased economy.  Women in both business and academia are eligible to receive this award.  Disciplines that may be considered include business, biological engineering, bioinformatics, biochemistry, enzyme development, biobased products, economics and education. Nomination forms should highlight contributions to the important goal of using industrial biotechnology innovation to develop sustainable bio-based value-chains.

Source

Biotechnology Industry Organization, press release, 2014-09-26.

Supplier

Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO)

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