The 19th Simonart Foundation Prize awarded to Liselot Dewachter:

The Simonart Foundation presented its 19th Simonart Prize to Professor Liselot Dewachter, a researcher at UCLouvain, during a ceremony held on Thursday 4 December at 7 p.m. This prize recognises her exceptional and pioneering research in the field of antibacterial drug development.

Professor Dewachter trained as a doctoral researcher at KU Leuven. She is now a professor at UCLouvain and leads pioneering bacteriological research aimed at understanding the growth and survival of Streptococcus pneumoniae, with the aim of identifying new strategies to combat this important human pathogen.

Using genetic screening methods, her team is searching for genes involved in fundamental processes that are essential for the survival of S. pneumoniae, such as DNA replication and cell division. The function of these genes is then thoroughly decoded in order to obtain new information about bacterial growth. In a next step, she hopes to use this knowledge to help develop new antibacterial drugs. To do so, she will use the research strategy for which she received the Simonart Prize.

Her award-winning research, entitled ‘Exploiting CRISPR-Cas Genome Editing for Smarter Antibiotic Target Selection and Drug Design’, addresses the urgent global threat posed by antibiotic resistance.

She explains: "Due to the constant increase in antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections, treatment failures are becoming more frequent, leading to an alarming number of deaths linked to this resistance. To reverse this trend, there is an urgent need to develop new antibiotics. With pharmaceutical companies reluctant to develop new antibiotics due to their low profitability and the rapid development of resistance, we have created an innovative strategy that allows us to focus our efforts on the most promising drug targets and lead compounds.

Using high-throughput CRISPR-Cas genome editing, we introduced more than 17,000 mutations into the E. coli genome to study the functional requirements and mutational flexibility of three potential drug targets (FabZ, LpxC, MurA). Using our approach, we were able to accurately determine which targets and lead compounds are least likely to develop resistance and thus prioritise them for drug development. Based on this robust proof of concept, we hope that our approach will help stimulate the development of antibiotics in the near future."

This research was conducted at the VIB/KU Leuven Microbiology Centre. It also benefited from the collaboration of the university research groups of Professor Wim Versées (VIB/VUB) and Professor Wim Vranken (VUB), as well as its industrial partner Inscripta, Inc, with whom it came into contact through the VIB Technology Watch initiative.

A ceremony celebrating scientific excellence

The event is being held to mark the 600th anniversary of UCLouvain and KU Leuven, reflecting the strong scientific collaboration between the two universities.

The Simonart Foundation: mission and history

Created in 1969 by Professor André Simonart, the Simonart Foundation's mission is to support young talents in their biomedical research that paves the way for new therapeutic approaches to improve patient care and quality of life.

Every three years, the Foundation awards the Simonart Prize to a young talent. More than just a financial reward, this prize is a prestigious academic distinction that can open the door to new career opportunities and further research.

André Simonart, pioneer in the search for innovative treatments

André Simonart was born in Leuven in 1903. The son and great-grandson of doctors, he studied medicine at the Catholic University of Leuven. Long before completing his studies, he began publishing scientific articles. His early work was recognised and laid the foundations for his future career as a pioneering pharmacologist.

André Simonart's academic career was enriched by international experiences at the University of Pennsylvania, Oxford and Utrecht. On his return to Belgium in 1936, he was appointed professor of pharmacodynamics and therapy at the Catholic University of Louvain, where he devoted his research to understanding the mechanisms of action of drugs and their therapeutic applications, thus marking the beginning of modern pharmacology.

During the Second World War, he became an active member of the Belgian resistance. His involvement led to his imprisonment at Fort Breendonk, then at the Buchenwald concentration camp. After the war, André Simonart resumed his scientific career and continued his research in pharmacology.

As a professor, he was also an extraordinary teacher, and all his students remember the remarkable clarity of his lectures. He was elected a member of the Royal Academy of Medicine of Belgium in recognition of his significant scientific contributions. He chaired the Simonart Foundation until his death in 1992, leaving behind a major scientific and academic legacy.

The presidency is now held by his granddaughter, Marie-Noëlle Simonart, supported by professors from both universities and members of the family.

Members of the Board of Directors

• Marie-Noëlle Simonart, Chairwoman
• Professor Chris Van Geet, KU Leuven, Honorary Vice-Rector
• Professor Frédéric Houssiau, UCLouvain, Honorary Vice-Rector
• Professor Minne Casteels, KU Leuven, Honorary Vice-Rector
• Professor Jean-Marie Maloteaux, UCLouvain, Honorary Professor of Neurology and Pharmacology
• Patricia Simonart, Administrator

Alternate Members of the Board of Directors

• Professor Emmanuel Hermans, Alternate Member, UCLouvain
• Professor Isabel Spriet, Alternate Member, KU Leuven

Winners

For the complete list of winners of the Simonart Foundation Prize,

please visit: https://simonartfoundation.org/prize-awards/