NBV-member Jack Pronk, professor of industrial biotechnology at Delft University of Technology, has been awarded the Novozymes Prize 2024 for his pioneering research into the physiology and metabolism of yeast, which has resulted in industrial applications of this micro-organism to produce bioethanol from agricultural waste streams.   

Since 1963, the Novozymes Prize is awarded annually to exceptional (European) research achievements that contribute to the development of innovative and sustainable applications of biotechnology. The prize, an initiative of the Danish Novo Nordisk Foundation, comes with a sum of 5 million Danish kroner (~€672,000).   

At this point, he does not have a concrete destination for the prize money. Pronk: ‘I am free to spend this amount on scientific research, there is no hard timeline attached and I am going to let it float for a while. Once I start handing over some management tasks in the next few years, there will be more room to take up new leads. If something exciting comes along, it’s great to know that I can simply start, without first having to apply for funding.’