Professor Nicolas Winssinger awarded the 2026 Klaus Grohe Prize
Geneva, July 24th, 2026, Dr Pierrick Berruyer
Professor Nicolas Winssinger, from the Department of organic chemistry in the School of chemistry and biochemistry of the Faculty of science at the University of Geneva (UNIGE), has been named co-recipient of the Klaus Grohe Prize 2026, one of the most prestigious distinctions in medicinal chemistry in Europe, awarded by the Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker (GDCh). This prize honours his pioneering contributions at the interface of organic chemistry, chemical biology and therapeutic research, paving the way for a new generation of medicines capable of detecting, interpreting and responding to biological signals with unprecedented precision.
Professor Winssinger’s research is based on an original use of nucleic acids, the molecules that normally carry genetic information. In his work, they become programmable elements able to control chemical reactions and the organisation of complex molecules..
This approach makes it possible to design genuine molecular circuits that can integrate biological information, in a manner analogous to sensors. Such systems can, for example, recognise specific signals emitted by the body before triggering a targeted therapeutic action, such as the release of an active pharmaceutical ingredient.
“Dr Grohe was a prolific medicinal chemist to whom, among many discoveries, the discovery of ciprofloxacin, an essential antibiotic, is attributed. The chemistry that enabled the discovery of this antibiotic is particularly efficient and provides an excellent teaching tool that I like to integrate into my courses, linking it to the central role of chemistry in the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals adopted in 2015 by the United Nations (UN) members for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development). It is a beautiful didactic example of the considerable impact of small molecules, so the name of this prize therefore has a very special personal meaning for me."
commented Professor Winssinger.
Towards “smart” medicines
Nicolas Winssinger’s research has given rise to a new generation of programmable molecules with diverse therapeutic applications: smart medicines that selectively target tumour cells, next‑generation synthetic antibodies, and anticoagulants whose action can be turned on and off on demand. This work opens up unprecedented prospects for more precise and safer medicine, and the main advances are detailed in the press releases accessible below.
International recognition
Awarded to scientists working in Europe, the Klaus Grohe Prize recognises particularly creative contributions to drug discovery and to the development of new concepts in medicinal chemistry with strong clinical potential.
The award ceremony will take place on 6 September 2026 during the EFMC Medicinal Chemistry 2026 conference in Basel, Switzerland
About Professor Winssinger
Nicolas Winssinger studied chemistry at Tufts University (USA) before obtaining his PhD from The Scripps Research Institute in 2000, where he then continued as a postdoctoral researcher until 2002. After a period at Sphinx Pharmaceuticals, he became a professor at the University of Strasbourg (assistant professor from 2002 to 2005, then full professor from 2005), where he headed the Laboratory of Organic and Bioorganic Chemistry. In 2012, he joined the University of Geneva as a full professor in the Department of organic chemistry. He has also served as head of department and chaired the School of chemistry and biochemistry from 2021 to 2025. Recipient notably of an ERC Young Investigator Award (2008) and the Guy Ourisson Prize (2008), he is the author of more than 220 publications and 11 patents.
24 Jul 2026