TWAS announces 2007 prize winners( TWAS the academy of sciences for the...)

TWAS, the academy of sciences for the developing world, has announced the winners of the TWAS Prizes for 2007. Each winner will receive a US$10,000 cheque and be invited to lecture about his or her research at the Academys Silver Jubilee anniversary celebration scheduled to take place in Mexico City from 10 to 13 November 2008.

Muhammad Arshad, director, Institute of Soil and Environmental Sciences, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan, has won the 2007 TWAS Prize in the agricultural sciences for his innovative contributions to our understanding of plant growth regulators that hold the potential to increase crop yields. Arshads research has focused on soil and environmental microbiology. He has pioneered the concept of utilizing substrate-dependent microbially produced plant growth and has successfully formulated high-quality bio-fertilizers. He has also examined ways to biologically convert organic wastes into soil-enhancing additives to improve soil health, save water and improve crop yields.

Lucia Mendona Previato, professor, Instituto de Biofisica Carlos Chagas Filho at Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, has been named the winner of the 2007 TWAS Prize in biology. The prize is being given for her contributions to increasing our understanding for the treatment and prevention of Chagas disease that currently afflicts an estimated 17 million people in Central and South America. The serious health consequences of the disease, which can sometimes prove fatal, include damage to the heart and digestive system. Studies by Previato have helped shed light on the molecular components driving communication between host cells and Trypanosoma cruzi, a protozoan parasite responsible for the disease.

Kankan Bhattacharyya, professor, physical chemistry department, Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, Kolkata, has won the 2007 TWAS Prize in chemistry for his seminal contributions to unravelling the
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