Researcher Paola Picotti has received the 2026 Otto Naegeli Prize, one of Switzerland's most prestigious medical awards. The prize, endowed with 200,000 Swiss francs, recognizes her work in developing mass spectrometry methodologies. Her technology enables the analysis of thousands of 3D protein structures in complex biological samples, a key step for understanding the molecular basis of diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. 🏆
The Technology That Captures the Shape of Proteins in Their Native Environment 🔬
The method developed by Picotti and her group focuses on analyzing the tertiary structure of proteins directly in cellular extracts, without the need to purify them. The technique uses a chemical labeling protocol that, combined with mass spectrometry, reveals which regions of the proteins are exposed or folded. This generates massive structural maps, showing how protein shapes change under pathological conditions, offering clues about disease mechanisms.
Finally, a Machine That Understands the Whims of Proteins 📸
It's as if proteins, those molecular divas that fold in a thousand ways, have finally found their paparazzi photographer. Picotti's technique takes a snapshot of thousands at once, without giving them time to get presentable. This way we can see their true form when they think no one is watching, in the midst of a cell's chaos. An advance to stop guessing what went wrong and start pointing the finger at the misfolded proteins.