The “Grand Prize for Science of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences” was awarded for the first time on 12 October at the ceremony celebrating the 155th anniversary of BAS. The Assembly of Academicians and Corresponding Members of BAS awards Acad. Vassya Bankova with the “Grand Prize for Science of BAS” for 2024, said the President of the Academy Prof. Julian Revalski, Member of BAS.
The BAS Prize will be awarded annually in one of the following three fields – natural, mathematical and engineering sciences, life sciences, and social sciences and humanities. This year the award is given in the field of natural, mathematical and engineering sciences. Six world-renowned scientists participated in this competition, announced the Chairman of the Award Committee, Acad. Christo Tsvetanov and presented a statuette made by Assoc. Prof. Emil Bachiyski from the National Academy of Art.
In this moment of recognition for me, I am overwhelmed with gratitude for the high evaluation, Acad. Vassya Bankova said at the ceremony. I am very happy, she added and clarified that the recognition is also for the group and the institute where she works – for the whole Academy.
ACAD. VASSYA BANKOVA
Scientific field: Chemistry of biologically active natural substances
Object of research: studies on bee pollen (propolis)
Institute of Organic Chemistry with Centre of Phytochemistry of BAS
Acad. Vassya Bankova is a Bulgarian scientist with impressive research activity and original scientific contributions on bee pollen and is the head of a world-renowned Bulgarian scientific school. Acad. Vassya Bankova has received the award for her original and world-renowned scientific contributions on the chemistry of biologically active natural substances (creation of a new concept and new approaches for propolis as a natural product with variable chemical composition depending on the plant source; proving the impact of propolis as a complex natural product and not so much depending on one or another of its constituents; building a strategy for dereplication of the type of propolis according to the plant source based on gas chromatographic – mass spectral analysis, in search of new bioactive substances).
Her scientific achievements have also realized applications with significant social impact – creation of a new concept for standardization and quality control of propolis, adopted and recommended for worldwide implementation by the International Honey Commission, and development of a method and creation of a water-soluble form of propolis protected by the Patent Office of the Republic of Bulgaria as a “utility model”.
The procedure for the selection of the recipient of the BAS Grand Prize is organized and managed by the Assembly of Academicians and Corresponding Members of BAS (AACM). The BAS Grand Prize for Science is awarded to a scientist from a Bulgarian scientific organisation or a Bulgarian higher education institution for outstanding achievements in the field of science that have received high international recognition.
