Two world figures of Czech science will receive Extraordinary Neuron Awards this year
The celebration of outstanding Czech science will take place on Czech Statehood Day, 28 September, at the Prague State Opera
The current situation and our experience of the worldwide pandemic of the new coronavirus once again underline the important role of science in addressing global challenges. That is why this year the Neuron Foundation will present Extraordinary Neuron Awards to two outstanding Czech scientists who have made a worldwide scientific contribution to the fight against viral pandemics and bacterial infections. The names of the laureates will be revealed at a gala ceremony to be held on Czech Statehood Day, 28 September 2020, at the Prague State Opera.
During the ceremony the Dejvice Theatre will perform the play Elegance of the Molecule. The aim of this year's extraordinary edition is to draw attention to the significant role of Czech scientists in world science, to the importance of long-term support for science and of connecting it across countries and disciplines. The laureates were chosen by the leading scientists of the foundation's council. "We value scientists immensely and we know that their work is affecting our lives right now more than ever. With this year's presentation of the Extraordinary Neuron Awards we therefore want above all to thank them and to show how important it is to connect the worlds of science and business and to popularise the results for the wider public," says Monika Vondráková, Neuron Founder.
It is precisely an extraordinary story about the successful connection of science and business that the play Elegance of the Molecule tells; the Neuron Foundation supported its creation financially. It traces the life of the famous Czech chemist Professor Antonín Holý. Thanks to interdisciplinary cooperation and the support of enlightened businesspeople, he discovered antivirals that to this day save millions of patients with AIDS or hepatitis B. His work is currently being taken further by laboratories all over the world in the fight against COVID-19.
"Professor Holý and his team devised a working termination of DNA chain formation. They were in the right place at the right time and they were ready. Their life story took in the end of the bipolar world, the arrival of HIV and also the birth of a gigantic pharmaceutical company. I started talking about all of this with friends and acquaintances and found that most of them had never heard of Antonín Holý. So I set about writing," is how the director Petr Zelenka describes his motivation.
"The play Elegance of the Molecule sums up exactly what we have been striving for at Neuron for more than eleven years: outstanding Czech science, hand in hand with the support of enlightened patrons, can change the world. This year's laureates are proof of that once again. For the first time in the foundation's history we will invite the wider public to the gala ceremony through a live broadcast by Czech Television on ČT2. We believe this will add a new dimension to the celebration of Czech Statehood Day," Monika Vondráková adds.
Don't miss the live broadcast on ČT2. Put it in your diary or sign up to attend on the Facebook event → FB event
