CRISPR scientist awarded Lemelson-MIT prize
Feng Zhang, one of the pioneers of CRISPR technology, has been announced as the 2017 recipient of the $500,000 Lemelson-MIT Prize, which honours outstanding inventors.
His work in CRISPR was a key factor in being chosen for the Lemelson-MIT prize on September 19. In particular, his approach to research by sharing work with overseas colleagues to further his own work also played a part in receiving the award.
According to a MIT statement, Zhang believes in sharing his work with other researchers around the world. He has sent out molecular reagents in over 42,000 test tubes to scientists in 61 different countries. He believes that sharing data is an essential aspect of his personal journey to invention.
Zhang is a member of the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard.
The researcher and his team were the first to develop a successful process for using an engineered CRISPR/Cas9 system to edit genomes in living mouse and human cells.
The statement added that Zhang believes that the use of CRISPR-based tools will further the understanding of biology by allowing scientists to recognise genetic differences that contribute to diseases.
Stephanie Couch, executive director of the Lemelson-MIT Program, said: “Beyond the breadth of his own accomplishments, Feng and his lab have also helped thousands of scientists across the world access the new technology to advance their own scientific discoveries.”
Zhang, commenting on receiving the award, said: “It is a tremendous honour to receive the Lemelson-MIT Prize and to join the company of so many incredibly impactful inventors who have won this prize in years past.”
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