The cluster of excellence “Unifying Concepts in Catalysis” (UniCat) has presented Dr. Teresa Santos-Silva with the 2014 Clara Immenwahr Award on February 21st at the Technische Universität Berlin. The chemist is being honoured for her outstanding contributions to the field of aldehyde oxidase enzymes, a group of enzymes that are important for all vertebrates.

Dr. Teresa Santos-Silva has focused in particular on the structural analysis of human and bacterial aldehyde oxidase enzymes, in which molybdenum cofactors play a role. In humans, these enzymes catalyse the breakdown of aldehydes, particularly in the liver; they are associated with important human diseases.