The prize money will be divided into five categories Science, Training, Young Researcher, Public Awareness and Lobbying. Two researchers from Konstanz are nominated: Prof. Marcel Leist for his work on the development of in vitro test systems to investigate the influences of chemical substances on neuronal development. He has to compete with eight international scientists in the final. In the category "Best Young Scientist" Leist´s PhD student Giorgia Pallocca is favorite. She is nominated for her examinations of neuronal damage by prescription drugs and could win 12,000 euros.

Antje Appelt-Menzel from the University Hospital Würzburg is also nominated in the category "Best Young Scientist": she works at the Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology (IGB) in the "Preclinical Models" section where she has developed in vitro blood-brain barriers from induced pluripotent stem cells.

Other nominated research groups are among others: Prof. Thomas Hartung together with his colleague Tom Luechtefeld from the Center for Alternatives To Animal Testing (CAAT) in Baltimore, the Dutch research company Toxys, which offers in vitro test systems for mechanistic toxicity studies on stem cell basis. The British company Kirkstall is also among the nominees. the company developed cell culture systems for substance testing. In the "Training" category, the Institute of In Vitro Sciences (IIVS) in Gaithersburg, USA, is one of the nominees. It offers laboratory, training and training services, workshops and seminars on animal-free methods.

The competition was developed in collaboration with the British organization Ethical Consumer and was granted in 2012 for the first time. During the five years, LUSH has supported today the work on animal-free trials with around 1.2 million pounds sterling.

For more information:
http://lushprize.org/