WUR Research Awards 2026: Research Paper of the Year

The Research Paper of the Year award recognises breakthrough research published in the past academic year, judged on creativity, originality, scientific rigour, and societal impact. This year’s award went to Ketan A. Ganar, Manali Nandy, and Polina Turbina for their paper “Phase separation and ageing of glycine-rich protein from tick adhesive,” published in Nature Chemistry.

Their research sheds new light on how ticks produce a highly adhesive substance that allows them to attach to their hosts. By studying the behaviour of glycine-rich proteins, the researchers discovered mechanisms behind this natural bioadhesive, opening up potential applications ranging from anti-tick strategies to biomedical materials such as tissue sealants and drug delivery systems.