Dr Nils Birkholz and student Sarah de Roode at work in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology Fineran lab.
Otago School of Biomedical Sciences Postdoctoral Fellow Dr Nils Birkholz has been awarded the Asia-Pacific Protein Association Young Scientist Award for 2024.
The Asia-Pacific Protein Association (APPA) brings together researchers studying protein science in countries in the Asia/Pacific region.
Organisers of this year’s award noted the calibre of applicants was exceptional, something that highlights how remarkable the early career researcher landscape is in the Asia/Pacific region.
Nils is a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Phage–Host Interactions lab in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology.
He says the award recognises not just his own work, but also the efforts by collaborators around the globe.
“I am very happy and honoured that these achievements of many years have been recognised by the APPA, and I look forward to presenting them to global colleagues in February.”
The award includes the opportunity to present at the Lorne Proteins 2025 in Australia, which is expected to be well attended in 2025 - its 50th anniversary year.
Nils’s research at Otago focuses on bacterial defence systems and mobile genetic elements.
He is currently studying different aspects of the interplay between bacteria and their viruses (phages), especially bacterial anti-phage defences and phage mechanisms to circumvent these defences.
In particular, he is investigating how phages control the production of anti-CRISPRs – proteins that inhibit bacterial immune systems known as CRISPR–Cas.
Phage resistance mechanisms discovered in bacteria – such as CRISPR-Cas – also have huge biotechnological potential.
Kōrero by Claire Grant, Communications Advisor, School of Biomedical Sciences