Two Award-Winning French Scientists

Three scientists—two French women and one Swiss woman—have won the 2022 European Inventor Award. Presented since 2006 by the European Patent Office, the award recognizes research that “paves the way toward a future full of promise,” according to Antonio Campinos, its president. In the “research” category, chemist Claude Grison was recognized for her work on plant-based ecocatalysts. By absorbing metal particles, these ecocatalysts could help decontaminate soil at mining sites while creating new molecules for the chemical, pharmaceutical, and cosmetics industries. Immunologist Élodie Belnoue and her Swiss colleague Madiha Derouazi were honored in the “SME” category for their platform for producing therapeutic cancer vaccines, which complement conventional treatments such as surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. This is a ray of hope for French research, which has been weighed down by low levels of public investment.

L’Humanité
June 23, 2022

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