Seville, March 14, 2011. Researcher María Ángeles Bermúdez is the winner of the first cicCartuja Research Award, which was presented today at the Isla de la Cartuja Research Centre (cicCartuja), a joint institution of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), the Andalusian Regional Government and the University of Seville. The event, chaired by the Minister of Science and Innovation, Cristina Garmendia, was also attended by Antonio Ávila, Minister of Economy, Innovation and Science; Fernando Hiraldo, Coordinator of the CSIC in Andalusia; Manuel García-León, Vice-Chancellor for Research at the University of Seville, and Miguel Ángel de la Rosa Acosta, Director of cicCartuja. Cristina Garmendia has highlighted the “tenacity”, “enthusiasm” and “creativity” of the young award winners, whose work she considers to be “the fuel” necessary for the “change” that is being carried out by the Ministry of Science and Innovation. “A change – Garmendia has pointed out – that will receive a strong boost in the coming weeks through the approval of the new Law on Science, Technology and Innovation”. This law seeks, in the words of the Minister, “a substantial improvement in the scientific career of our researchers: replacing grants with contracts, and establishing novel and unique procedures to evaluate the merits of our researchers and adequately recognise them”.
The Minister for Science and Innovation has highlighted the cicCartuja Research Award for promoting three values ​​of science: “A cutting-edge science that provides revolutionary solutions for our lives and our economy”, “an internationalised science”, which is carried out jointly with foreign institutions, and, finally, “a science in which, fortunately, there are more and more women leaders”, as has been the case of the winner of this award granted by cicCartuja.
For his part, Miguel Ángel de la Rosa, Director of cicCartuja, has stated that these awards arise with a desire for continuity and has highlighted the interdisciplinary nature of this Centre, in which three Institutes work together: the Institute of Plant Biochemistry and Photosynthesis (IBVF), the Institute of Materials Science of Seville (ICMS) and the Institute of Chemical Research (IIQ). According to De la Rosa, “synergy” is the distinctive feature of cicCartuja and the element that integrates it into the productive fabric of the Cartuja Science and Technology Park, where it maintains links with business and society.
With this award, the Isla de la Cartuja Scientific Research Centre recognises the work undertaken by its youngest researchers. The cicCartuja Research Award highlights articles presented by scientists in high-impact publications at an international level, which are, in turn, published on the Centre’s website (www.ciccartuja.es), within the “Article of the Month” section. In this way, cicCartuja not only encourages the excellent work of its scientists, but also makes the results of its research projects known to society and companies.
The study that has been awarded the first prize in this edition is entitled “Arabidopsis S-Sulfocysteine ​​Synthase Activity Is Essential for Chloroplast Function and Long-Day Light Dependent Redox Control”, published in the international journal The Plant Cell in 2010, whose first author is María Ángeles Bermúdez. This scientist belongs to the Institute of Plant Biochemistry and Photosynthesis (IBVF), of cicCartuja, and is linked to the research group directed by professors Luis Carlos Romero and Cecilia Gotor. This article focuses on the role played by the cysteine ​​molecule in cellular metabolism and in the response of plants to environmental disturbances. This research has important biotechnological applications in the development of improved plants. These plants can survive adverse growth conditions and have a wide impact on improving crop production, as well as significantly reducing the use of fertilizers and pesticides.
In addition to this first prize, the cicCartuja has awarded two second prizes, given to Alejandro Díaz-Moscoso –researcher at the Institute of Chemical Research (IIQ), who published his article in Chemistry. A European Journal– and Olalla Sánchez-Sobrado, from the Institute of Materials Science of Seville (ICMS), whose work appeared in Journals Materials of Chemistry. The endowment of these awards amounts to 2,000 euros for the first prize and 500 euros for the second and third place. These amounts have been donated by Antonio Hernández Callejas, President of Ebro Foods and winner of the 1st Prize of the Confederation of Entrepreneurs of Seville.
See here the videos that Canal Sur and Giralda TV broadcast about the award ceremony.
See here the photographs of the day.