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Ernest Giralt. Photo: IRB Barcelona.
 03.02.2015

The Barcelona City Council awards Ernest Giralt with the “Ciutat de Barcelona” award

Ernest Giralt, group leader of the Design, synthesis and structure of peptides and proteins Laboratory at IRB Barcelona –located at the PCB– and  professor in the Department of Organic Chemistry at the University of Barcelona has received  the 'Ciutat de Barcelona' Award in the category of Experimental Sciences and Technology. The awards ceremony will take place on Tuesday, February 10 in the City Council, and will be chaired by Mayor Xavier Trias.

The council recognizes Dr. Giralt for his “development of a chemical technology that enables a cytotoxic peptide extracted from wasp venom to act selectively in tumor cells without affecting healthy cells, with applications into chemotherapy,” according to today’s announcement  by the Culture Institute of the City Council.

Ernest Giralt  undertakes his research at IRB Barcelona, where he leads the Design, synthesis and structure of peptides and proteins group and coordinates the Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology Programme, one of the five programmes at the institute.

Prof. Giralt has published around 350 papers, 16 patents, numerous review articles, and several books that have become references in his field. In 2008, he was accepted into the Royal Academy of Sciences and Arts of Barcelona.During his career he has received various prizes: Leonidas Zervas Award (1994), Dimitrios Theodoropoulos Memorial Lecture Award (2010), Novartis Chemistry Lectureship Award (2011), and the Premio Nacional de Investigación (2011), the highest scientific award in Spain.

The ‘Ciutat de Barcelona’ awards represent the highest recognition that  he city gives to its citizens. With over sixty years of history, the prizes aim to reward excellence in different fields of creativity, research and culture in the city throughout the year. The winners are chosen by a jury of renowned representatives from each sector, who conduct a comprehensive study of all projects in each area.