Rolf Müller receives Tu Youyou Award for groundbreaking antibiotic research!

Rolf Müller receives Tu Youyou Award for groundbreaking antibiotic research!

On April 30, 2025, the renowned “Tu Youyou Award” was awarded to Rolf Müller for his outstanding achievements in natural products and medicinal chemistry. The prize, awarded every two years by the MDPI Sustainability Foundation, is named after Chinese scientist Tu Youyou, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 2015. This honor is given to researchers whose work contributes to the development of new therapeutic approaches.

Rolf Müller, the founding and scientific director of the Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS), received the award particularly for his groundbreaking developments of new antibiotics from microbial natural products. He also coordinates the research area New Antibiotics at the German Center for Infection Research (DZIF) and is Professor of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology at Saarland University.

Innovative approaches in antibiotic research

Müller will be honored with prize money of 100,000 Swiss francs for his work in isolating unknown soil bacteria. This research aims to discover new active ingredients that are effective against bacterial infections, especially against multi-resistant germs that pose a significant health risk. Economics Minister Jürgen Barke praised Müller and the HIPS as a model institute for drug research in Germany.

The need to find new antibiotics is more urgent than ever. Resistance to existing antibiotics is increasing worldwide, and the discovery of new agents is crucial to combating this threat. Müller's research could make a decisive contribution to expanding future therapy options.

The meaning of the “Tu Youyou Award”

The “Tu Youyou Award” was launched in 2016 to recognize outstanding achievements in natural products and medicinal chemistry. Tu Youyou, known for the discovery of artemisinin, a key antimalarial drug, positively influenced global health, particularly in malaria-endemic regions. Their discovery has significantly reduced mortality rates among malaria patients and promoted the development of artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs), recommended by the WHO as standard treatment.

The discovery of Tu Youyou, who isolated artemisinin from about 2,000 plant preparations, highlights the importance of natural resource research in medicine. An estimated 70 percent of all medicines are of natural origin, reinforcing the need to preserve biodiversity - a central message that also echoes in the work of Rolf Müller.

Müller's award recognizes not only his individual achievements, but also the scientific community's commitment to finding new solutions to pressing health challenges. The prize is awarded by an international panel of researchers who ensure that recognition is based on the most significant achievements in the field.

Rolf Müller shares this prestigious award with Prof. Richard DiMarchi from Indiana University Bloomington in the USA, which in turn shows the international collaboration in the research landscape.

Overall, the awarding of the “Tu Youyou Award” highlights both the importance of natural product research and the ongoing challenges in the field of medicinal chemistry. Due to the lack of known active ingredients, preserving biodiversity remains crucial for future drug development.

Rolf Müller's award combines current research successes with a historical context rooted in the work of scientists like Tu Youyou. The future of drug therapy depends heavily on innovative approaches based on natural resources.

uni-saarland.de reports that preserving biodiversity is essential for the discovery of new active ingredients. mdpi-foundation.org highlights Tu Youyou's significant achievements while plantresearch.de reminds us of the valuable role that natural remedies play in medicine.