Hyderabad: The prestigious Genome Valley Excellence Award for the year 2023 will be given to Prof. Robert S. Langer in recognition of his groundbreaking research that resulted in the creation of the first commercial mRNA vaccines used for a variety of infectious diseases, according to the announcement made at the 20th edition of BioAsia, the premier healthcare and life sciences event organised by the Government of Telangana. 

At Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Langer is the David H. Koch Institute Professor at the moment. He is also being praised for his outstanding work in the fields of cancer detection, monitoring, and treatment. The development of long-term and controlled-release drug delivery systems, utilised for a range of applications including cancer therapy, insulin, and vaccinations, is just one of the extraordinary achievements made by this expert in his field to biomedical and therapeutic research.

He works at the nexus of biotechnology and material science as the head of the Langer Labs, and his research helped set the groundwork for the fundamental delivery system that resulted in the creation of the first commercial mRNA vaccines. He helped co-found Moderna, a biotech startup that gained notoriety for creating a COVID-19 mRNA vaccine, in 2010.

He has written more than 1,500 scientific publications, making him the most-cited engineer in history. He is also quite active in the scientific community. A recipient of multiple honours, including the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering, he is also a serial entrepreneur who helped launch more than 40 businesses.

The recipient of the prize has been chosen by a prestigious jury comprising notable individuals with national and worldwide reputations. With the Genome Valley Excellence Award, we really want to celebrate people who created an extraordinary impact within the Life Science community, and there is no one who better fits the bill than Prof. Langer, said Mr. KT Rama Rao, Hon'ble Minister for Industries & Commerce, Government of Telengana. His life's effort and its influence on the larger community both now and in the future are being honoured by BioAsia with this award.
The Genome Valley Excellence Award has been given over the years to deserving individuals who have made significant contributions to the fields of life sciences and public health. The current year is no different. We are pleased to present Professor Robert Langer with this honour because of his contributions, which include the commercialization of the mRNA vaccine, drug delivery methods, and tissue engineering. According to Mr. Jayesh Ranjan, Principal Secretary (I&C), Government of Telengana, "His life and work are an inspiration to many and a testament to keep trying and achieve what many others say is impossible and unachievable."

The Genome Valley Excellence Award has flourished thanks to its remarkable recipient history and is currently regarded as one of the most distinguished honours. We are delighted to have Robert "Bob" Langer speak at BioAsia 2023 since he epitomises the word "relentless." A guy of numerous talents, he has made his mark and altered the course of biotechnology for future generations. He is an engineer, scientist, researcher, and serial entrepreneur. His entrepreneurial endeavours have been an outgrowth of his study and unshakable dedication to serving humanity; he has founded and led numerous businesses. According to Mr. Shakthi M. Nagappan, CEO of BioAsia and Director of Lifesciences and Pharma, Government of Telengana, highlighting Prof. Langer and his work through this award "should encourage the youth of our community to be students of science and really see firsthand, how pursuing science can create impact and make a world of difference in the lives of many."

Nobel laureates like Dr. Kurt Wuthrich, Ada Yonath, Harald zur Hausen, Barry Marshall, Martin J. Evans, Food laureates, Lasker Awardees, and distinguished figures like Novartis CEO Mr. Vas Narasimhan, Richard W. Vague Professor in Immunotherapy and CAR-T cell therapy pioneer Dr. Carl June, CEO of GAVI Dr. Seth Berkley, among others, are just a few of the past Genome Valley Excellence Dr. Drew Weissman, professor at the Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, received the Genome Valley Excellence Award the previous year for his ground-breaking, innovative research and creation of the efficient mRNA COVID-19 vaccine, which has contributed to the global saving of billions of lives. Dr. Krishna Ella and Mrs. Suchitra Ella of Bharat Biotech International Ltd. received it in 2021 for their work developing and commercialising vaccines, particularly the COVID-19 vaccine Covaxin.