Professor’s Enduring Impact on Peptide Chemistry Recognised - Again!

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Professor Fernando Albericio has added to his laurels with the first Chimica Oggi - Chemistry Today journal’s Lifetime Achievement Award, which he received during the International Oligonucleotides and Peptides Conference (IOPC) in Prague in the Czech Republic. 

The IOPC is a leading event for platforming innovation, research and novel developments in oligonucleotides and peptides. Its sessions focus on synthesis, delivery and formulation, preclinical and clinical studies, manufacturing, novel platforms and technologies and peptides in cosmetics. 

This recognition adds to a host of remarkable awards Albericio has received in recognition of his excellent contributions to the science of peptide synthesis that forms the foundation for advancing modern medicine and biotechnology, drug development, diagnostics and research tools that mimic or modulate biological processes. 

In 2024 alone, Albericio received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the European Peptide Synthesis Conference, the Josef Rudinger Memorial Lecture Award from the European Peptide Society, and the Johannes Meienhofer Lifetime Achievement Award from the Boulder Peptide Foundation in the United States. 

Albericio’s accomplishments during a career spanning 50 years include authorship of over 1 100 papers, co-authorship of four books, filing of over 65 patents and supervision or co-supervision of more than 85 PhD students and more than 100 master’s degree students. He is ranked third among the best chemistry scientists in South Africa by Research.com and holds an A-rating from the National Research Foundation. He regularly features among UKZN’s Top 30 Published Researchers, is editor-in-chief of several scientific journals and serves on the editorial boards of others. 

He joined UKZN in 2012 as a research professor to contribute his decades of expertise to the University’s mission to transfer knowledge and technology to society. Originally from Barcelona in Spain, where he studied chemistry at the University of Barcelona, Albericio’s fascination with peptides led him to complete his PhD on fragment condensation for peptide synthesis. He completed his postdoctoral studies at Tufts University, the Université d’Aix-Marseille, and the University of Minnesota, returning to the University of Barcelona as a lecturer. 

His career took him from academia to industrial research, working as the Director of Peptide Research at Milligen-Biosearch in the United States, helping develop the Milligen 9050 peptide synthesiser and key protecting groups and activation strategies. He returned to the University of Barcelona and served as Executive Director of the Barcelona Science Park, founded the ‘Emprendia’ Network-Santander Bank university, and held the office of founding Rector of Yachay Tech in Ecuador. 

Albericio was also a keynote speaker at the 2025 IOPC, presenting an address on solid-phase peptide synthesis, specifically integrating resins, protecting groups, and coupling reagents in an optimal solvent. Albericio homed in on the significant structural differences in modern peptides and spoke about how solid-phase peptide synthesis could help meet the growing demand for peptides with improved efficiency, scalability and sustainability. 

He ascribes the contributions of his Peptide Science Laboratory at UKZN to advancing peptide chemistry that aligns with principles of sustainability - his group has developed more than 30 commodities that have reached the market. Almost any peptide synthesised worldwide uses technology developed at the laboratory.

Words: Christine Cuénod

Photograph: Supplied