Philipp Kukura awarded Royal Society Faraday Discovery Fellowship

Philipp Kukura awarded prestigious

Royal Society Faraday Discovery Fellowship

Philipp Kukura, Professor of Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery, University of Oxford, has been awarded a prestigious Faraday Discovery Fellowship by the Royal Society.

 

The Faraday Discovery Fellowships are long-term awards, of up to £8m over ten years, that support 'outstanding mid-career researchers' to undertake high-quality, original research on the 'frontiers of science' in the UK.

Professor Kukura is one of nine awardees this year, and the award will support his research, alongside co-investigators Professor Reidun Twarock (University of York) and Professor Paula de Fonseca (University of Glasgow), into developing a technology that aims to understand the molecular basis of biological function and regulation by single-molecule mass measurement. A particular focus of the work will be on the assembly principles for virus like particles and protein degradation, two of the most promising areas for next generation biotherapeutics.

“I am incredibly grateful for this award - it gives the team at Oxford and our collaborators the time and security to really challenge the status quo and make a step change in our ability to understand biological function and regulation, and thereby optimise routes to intervention.” Professor Philipp Kukura, Department of Chemistry and Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery

Sir Paul Nurse, President of the Royal Society, said: ‘This impressive new cohort of Royal Society Faraday Discovery Fellows is exploring some of the most exciting questions in science. Backing exceptional researchers at our world-leading institutions is essential to advancing science and these 10-year fellowships provide the time and support needed to pursue bold, curiosity-driven research, build world leading groups and establish global research partnerships. Together, they will help secure the UK's position at the forefront of scientific discovery and inspire the next generation of research talent.’

Further information about the 2026 Faraday Discovery Fellowships can be found on the Royal Society website. 

The more detailed University of Oxford's press release is available as: 'Outstanding Oxford Chemist awarded Royal Society Faraday Discovery Fellowship'