PASCAL MAYER AWARDED AGAIN WITH THE 2026 PRINCESS OF ASTURIAS AWARD FOR HIS RESEARCH ON DNA SEQUENCING

Pascal Mayer, founder of the company Alphanosos at the Biopôle Clermont-Limagne, has just added another major distinction to his career achievements. The French biophysicist received the 2026 Princess of Asturias Awards for Scientific and Technical Research alongside British chemists David Klenerman and Shankar Balasubramanian.

Awarded by the Princess of Asturias Foundation, this prize is considered one of the most prestigious scientific distinctions in the Spanish-speaking world. It recognizes the work of the three researchers in the field of rapid DNA sequencing, a breakthrough that has profoundly transformed biomedical research, clinical diagnostics, and forensic medicine.

The jury particularly highlighted the major impact of their discoveries, which dramatically reduced the cost and time required for the complete analysis of a human genome. What previously required several months of work and substantial financial investment can now be accomplished in a single day at a significantly lower cost.

This innovation has paved the way for numerous advances in the medical and scientific fields. It notably played a key role during the COVID-19 pandemic by enabling the rapid identification of the virus through total sequencing of patient biopsy samples and by accelerating vaccine development research.

Already honored in 2022 with the prestigious Breakthrough Prize and Canada Gairdner International Award in the life sciences category, Pascal Mayer had already shared these distinctions with David Klenerman and Shankar Balasubramanian for the same major discovery in DNA sequencing. This new international recognition confirms the importance of their work in the evolution of genetic technologies and personalized medicine. Their discoveries have opened new perspectives in the study of genetic diseases, molecular biology, targeted therapies, and forensic investigations.

Created in 1981, the Princess of Asturias Awards are presented each year in Oviedo by Leonor, Princess of Asturias, in the presence of Felipe VI and Queen Letizia. The award, which includes a €50,000 prize, honors individuals whose work makes a significant contribution to scientific, cultural, and human progress.