A UJI chemist wins a Westminster Medal for her research on the detection of human and avian flu at SET for Britain 2014



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## A UJI chemist wins a Westminster Medal for her research on the detection of human and avian flu at SET for Britain 2014

04/06/2014 |
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* [![María José Marín Altaba. medalla-westminster MariaJoseMarinAltabaChemistryGold_web](/com/noticies/2014/06/1q/medalla-westminster/MariaJoseMarinAltabaChemistryGold_web.jpg)](#)

María José Marín Altaba, graduate in Chemistry at the Universitat Jaume I in Castelló (UJI), won the Westminster Medal awarded by the House of Commons that rewards young researchers’ excellence. Marín is currently undertaking research at the University of East Anglia (UK). She won the gold medal in chemistry and later competed with the winners from other disciplines by the Westminster Medal, earning the overall prize among 200 participating scientists. The work presented by the UJI former student involves the development of a colorimetric sensor based on gold nanoparticles for the rapid detection and discrimination between human flu, a seasonal epidemic, and avian flu, which causes flu pandemics.

The first medal won by Marín was the gold medal in chemistry, which is called "Roscoe Medal". It is awarded by a scientific committee after evaluating the posters presented by the 30 chemists shortlisted to present their research in the House of Commons. Subsequently, to win the Westminster Medal, Marín had two minutes to present her research to a panel of expert judges that included the member of parliament Andrew Miller, the BBC science correspondent Pallab Ghosh and the professor Michael Elves from the Science Policy Foundation Newton's Apple. The jury assessed the ability of the researcher to explain her project to a lay audience.

The overall aim of the annual competition SET for Britain is to encourage, support and promote early-stage and early-career young scientists in five subjects (chemistry, engineering, mathematics, physics, biology and biomedicine). It also aims to help politicians understand more about the UK’s thriving science and engineering and to reward some of the strongest scientific and engineering research being undertaken in the United Kingdom. In addition to the quality of the research work and results by an early-stage or early-career researcher, it acknowledges their ability to communicate science to a lay audience, and in particular to politicians and members of Parliament.

Marín studied the Degree in Chemistry at the UJI. She pursued a doctorate at the University of East Anglia under the direction of professor David A. Russell in collaboration with professor of Organic Chemistry at the UJI Francisco Galindo. Currently, she is working as a postdoctoral researcher at the British university and participates in the project led by professors David A. Russell and Robert A. Field (John Innes Centre) for the development of an innovative colorimetric sensor based on gold nanoparticles functionalized with carbohydrates to rapidly detect and distinguish between human flu and avian flu.

[SET for Britain awards.](http://www.setforbritain.org.uk/index.asp)

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