Ryusei Matsumoto won the Society for Biotechnology Outstanding Student Award (Hisho Sho). This award is presented to encourage researches by student members who are doctoral students at Japanese universities (or equivalent graduate programmes) and are expected to achieve outstanding research accomplishments. The award ceremony was held on 25 September. Matsumoto is a 1st year doctoral student at ELSI (School of Life Science and Technology, Department of Life Science and Technology, Life Science and Technology Course of Science Tokyo) and jointly mentored be ELSI’s Professor Tomonori Matsuura and Specially Appointed Associate Professor Liam M Longo.
 
This award recognises Matsumoto’s research analysing the evolutionary dynamics of polyphosphate kinase 2, which revealed promiscuous and highly active enzymes applicable to nucleoside triphosphate and RNA synthesis.

‘I sincerely thank Prof. Tomosuke Matsuura, Prof. Liam M. Longo, and our lab members for their guidance. Inspired by this award, I will continue exploring the applications of the enzymes I discovered and strive to contribute to the advancement of biotechnology’ commented Matsumoto.