ETH Microbiologist Wins Top European Medical Award

Jörn Piel, Professor of Bacterial Natural Product Research at ETH Zurich, is the recipient of this year's Jung Prize for Medicine. Elena Conti, Director of the Max Planck Institute for Biochemistry in Munich, is also being honoured. Both will receive EUR 150,000 each this year to continue their research.

The award is one of the most highly endowed and prestigious medical research prizes in Europe and has been awarded by the independent Jung Foundation for Science and Research since 1976.

"I never would have dreamed of receiving this award," says Piel, who has been researching at ETH Zurich since 2013. "I'm surprised and feel very honoured." Prior to joining ETH, he worked as a chemistry professor at the University of Bonn.

Piel's research primarily focuses on natural substances from bacteria that could have medicinal applications. "We examine these substances from different perspectives: first, from a purely chemical standpoint, and then, how and with which enzymes bacteria produce them," explains the researcher. "Additionally, we want to identify sustainable methods for producing and modifying these substances using biotechnology." Piel also studies bacterial producers from a microbiological perspective, as he is particularly interested in exotic species that have never been investigated before. "It's fun to bring all these disciplines together," says Piel.

The exploding jet engine that started it all

"My interest in research was originally sparked by my father," says Piel. As a teenager, he wanted to power a model train with a homemade jet engine, so he filled an empty gun cartridge with homemade incendiary powder, attached it to a wagon and ignited it. But instead of being propelled, the train exploded in the living room. "That captured my imagination," recalls Piel. "And since my father wouldn't tell me the recipe for the mixture, I had to look it up myself in books. And thus my interest in chemistry was born."

Later, Piel earned his doctorate in chemistry and held a chemistry professorship in Bonn before being appointed to the Institute of Microbiology at ETH Zurich. "During my studies, I was drawn to the complex molecular structures of organic chemistry. I tried to figure out which and how many synthesis steps were necessary to create them. That led me to natural products, which also have very complex structures," he says.

Closing gaps

Piel plans to use his share of the award to finance a postdoctoral position to find and study novel peptides. "Many novel natural substances with antibiotic properties are waiting to be discovered in bacteria, which could help us address the current antibiotic resistance crisis," explains the researcher. According to Piel, companies can be quite hesitant when it comes to researching these substances due to often low profitability, among other reasons. It is expensive to develop new antibiotics, and once one reaches the market, resistance can quickly develop.

"Academic research needs to close this gap," he says, noting that he is optimistic it will succeed. The global scientific community is actively working to discover new natural substances, he says, and to evaluate their potential for medicinal use.

Piel says his move to ETH Zurich has been rewarding: "The ETH has provided me with remarkable opportunities." The students are exceptional and highly motivated, he notes, and the collegial atmosphere at the Institute of Microbiology allows for straightforward and exciting collaborations. Piel is also happy about receiving solid funding for his professorship: "This will allow me to conduct pioneering projects without relying on third-party sources. All of this is an immense privilege."