Professor Philipp Kukura Awarded Wellcome Trust Discovery Award for Research on Single Molecule Mass Measurement

Professor Philipp Kukura Awarded Wellcome Trust Discovery Award for Research on Single Molecule Mass Measurement

We are pleased to share that Kavli Oxford Professor Philipp Kukura has received a Wellcome Trust Discovery Award for his project ‘Direct observation of biomolecular mechanisms by single molecule mass measurement’.

The Wellcome Discovery Awards support researchers and teams pursuing ambitious projects that aim to improve understanding of human life, health and wellbeing.

Philipp’s group develops new optical methods with applications in biophysical chemistry, molecular biophysics and the broader life sciences. Their current focus is on mass photometry—light-scattering-based detection, imaging and mass measurement of single biomolecules in solution. This approach is designed to transform how researchers monitor and quantify biomolecular processes, ultimately enabling direct observation of biomolecules in action.

Reflecting on the award, Philipp said:

“We are absolutely delighted with this award, which will give us the opportunity to develop a potentially transformative technology aimed at revealing the biomolecular choreography that underpins cellular function.”

The Kukura Group’s work combines the development of novel optical hardware and analysis tools with applications that focus on mechanistic investigations of biomolecular interactions and assembly. Based at the Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery, their research brings together interdisciplinary expertise across departments and divisions.

To learn more about their research, visit: https://www.kukuralab.info/

We extend our congratulations to Philipp and his team as they take forward this exciting work.

Since April 2021, Oxford University's Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery is proudly serving as a hub for research groups from seven different departments spanning both the medical and physical sciences, including the Kukura Labfrom the Department of Chemistry