Professor Ed Tate recognised with prestigious Klaus-Grohe Prize 2026

Professor Ed Tate, GSK Chair of Chemical Biology in Imperial's Department of Chemistry, has been awarded the Klaus-Grohe Prize 2026, one of Europe's leading awards in medicinal chemistry.

The prize, awarded by the Klaus-Grohe Foundation through the German Chemical Society (GDCh), recognises scientists whose research has advanced new principles in drug discovery or medicinal chemistry, and demonstrated clear potential for real-world application. This year's prize is worth €75,000 and, for the first time, is being shared by two recipients: Professor Tate and Professor Nicolas Winssinger of the University of Geneva.

Professor Tate was recognised for his pioneering work in chemical biology, particularly in understanding protein lipidation - the process by which cells attach lipid molecules to proteins. Although this mechanism plays a role in regulating thousands of proteins, it remained difficult to study for many years due to a lack of suitable tools.

He commented: “This prize is fantastic recognition of the exceptional creativity, determination and teamwork of the many students, postdocs and research staff who have been part of my group over the years, alongside our many collaborators in the UK and internationally. It has been a privilege to work with them to develop new approaches to understanding protein lipidation and to translate chemical biology innovations into opportunities for new medicines.”

His research group developed innovative bioorthogonal probes that enable scientists to observe these processes inside living cells without disturbing them. These technologies have become a global standard for studying protein lipidation and are used by researchers around the world.

The award also recognises the impact of Professor Tate's work beyond the laboratory. His discoveries have helped create new opportunities for therapeutic development, including strategies to block viral replication and selectively target cancer cells. As co-founder of biotechnology company Myricx Bio, he has also helped translate fundamental research into potential cancer treatments that are progressing towards clinical testing.

The prize highlights Professor Tate's international leadership in chemical biology and the growing impact of Imperial research in advancing the next generation of medicines.

Learn more about the Klaus-Grohe prize.