Juan José Moreno (2019) for his research that will allow the design of better catalysts based on the Cp ligand and other analogues, as well as the discovery of transformations that have not yet been published, and José Luis Santos (2020) for his study on the use of residual biomass for energy purposes, have been the winners of the cicCartuja Ebro Foods 2019 and 2020 award. An edition that reaches the tenth and eleventh edition respectively. This award recognizes the work carried out by young researchers under 31 years of age who have previously published scientific articles in prestigious international journals related to areas such as Chemistry, Biochemistry or Materials Science.
In the 2019 edition, the first prize was awarded to Valle Ojeda, from the Institute of Plant Biochemistry and Photosynthesis (IBVF), for her studies on the model species Arabidposis thaliana, which lay the foundations for biotechnological strategies aimed at increasing plant productivity and reducing CO2 levels in the atmosphere. Juan Manuel Pérez Ruíz collected the award, as Valle is currently doing a stay at the University of Berkeley (California). The second prize, awarded to Sara Navarro from the Institute of Materials Science of Seville (ICMS), rewards the design of new active and selective catalysts for the WGS reaction (generation of H2 as an energy source) capable of operating under the real working conditions of a fuel cell. Svetlana Ivanova collected her award, as Sara is at the University of Lille, in France, doing a post-doctoral stay with the CNRS (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique), which is the equivalent of the CSIC in Spain.
Regarding the 2020 edition, the first prize was awarded to Macarena González Alférez, from the Institute of Chemical Research (IIQ) for her studies on cyclopentadienyl ligands (Cp) in organometallic chemistry and homogeneous catalysis (in particular, pentamethylcyclopentadienyl). The second prize, meanwhile, was awarded to Ester López (ICMS) for her work on the possibility offered by the magnetron sputtering technique for the fabrication of electrodes with different microstructure, chemical state or thickness of nickel catalysts, applied to the generation of H2.
2019 and 2020 Award Winners (with representatives)
The award ceremony took place on Friday, November 12, in the cicCartuja auditorium and was attended by authorities from the world of science and the university environment, as well as from industry and local and regional politics. Among them, Mr. Juan Antonio Marín Lozano, Vice President of the Junta de Andalucía; Ms. Rosina López-Alonso, Vice President of Organization and Institutional Relations of the Higher Council for Scientific Research (CSIC); Mr. Miguel Ángel Castro, Rector of the University of Seville and Mr. Antonio Hernández, President of Ebro Foods.
The president of cicCartuja, Javier Rojo, presenting Antonio Hernández with a plaque of gratitude
At the ceremony, the director Javier Rojo presented Antonio Hernández of Ebro Foods with a plaque of gratitude for his work over the years. After this, the Vice President of the Junta de Andalucía, the Vice President of Organisation and Institutional Relations of the CSIC, the rector of the US Miguel A. Castro and Antonio Hernández himself had a few words to thank the young winners and finalists for their work and for the scientific and research work carried out at the centre.
2019 edition winners with institute directors and authorities
2020 edition winners with institute directors and authorities