Professor Troels Skrydstrup, Center Leader of the Carbon Dioxide Activation Center (CADIAC), is the recipient of the Melvin Calvin Award 2018 for outstanding scientific contributions in the field of isotope science. This international award is given for his work on the development of the two-chamber reaction systems, as well as carbon monoxide releasing molecules, which are an important breakthrough in isotope chemistry and broadly utilized for ¹³C- and ¹⁴C-carbon labeling.

The award is given by the International Isotope Society (IIS) and will be presented in June 2018 in Prague at the 13^th International Symposium on the Synthesis and Applications of Isotopes and Isotopically Labelled Compounds (http://iis-prague2018.cz/). Isotope labeling studies including human drug metabolism and pharmacokinetic investigations of clinical candidates is a mandatory requirement for obtaining approval from regulative administrations. As such, isotopically labeled derivatives are required, which include both cold and radioactive isotope labels.

Troels Skrydstrup and his research team have developed new techniques applying transition metal complexes for the late-stage introduction of carbon isotopes, including carbon-11, carbon-13 and carbon-14 into bioactive molecules. In particular, with respect to CADIAC, all the techniques apply isotopically labeled carbon dioxide. The decision is made by the Board of Trustees of the International Isotope Society, which is composed of isotope scientists from Syngenta, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Sanofi, Merck, among others.

Melvin Calvin was the recipient of the 1961 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his groundbreaking work on the use of carbon-14 labeled compounds for deciphering the light-independent reactions in photosynthesis involving carbon fixation, now known as the Calvin cycle.