RESEARCH, EARLY-CAREER SCIENTIST

Introducing the winner of the 2025 FEBS Open Bio Article Prize: Giulia Lunghi

The FEBS Open Bio Article Prize, currently in its 5th year, is awarded annually to an early career researcher who has published a paper of especial interest and importance in the journal in the last 18 months.

The 2025 FEBS Open Bio Article Prize was awarded to Giulia Lunghi (University of Milano, Segrate, Italy) for her remarkable research on the neuroprotective effects of GM1 ganglioside on Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS).

In their study, Giulia and colleagues demonstrated the protective ability of GM1 in counteracting the glutamate-induced excitotoxicity in motor neurons, a key factor in ALS progression. Their findings provide insight into the role of GM1, particularly GM1-OS, as a potential drug candidate for ALS and other neurological disorders.

The winning paper published in the journal’s 2023 December issue, was selected by a jury of Editorial Board Members including Ivana Novak (Split), Jan S. Potempa (Kraków), and Cláudio M. Soares (Oeiras), for its scientific significance and strong experimental design.

As part of the award, Giulia has been invited to present her work at the 49th FEBS Congress in Istanbul, taking place in July of this year; a fantastic opportunity to disseminate her findings to the wider scientific community.

We invite you to read Giulia’s paper and join us in celebrating her achievement!