Jürgen Popp receives Ellis R. Lippincott Award for research in light-based diagnostics

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Biophotonics researcher and JenaVersum board member Jürgen Popp, Scientific Director of the Leibniz Institute of Photonic Technology (Leibniz IPHT) and Professor of Physical Chemistry at Friedrich Schiller University in Jena, has been awarded the Ellis R. Lippincott Award 2026. The international award is presented jointly by Optica, the Coblentz Society and the Society for Applied Spectroscopy. The professional associations honour Popp for his pioneering contributions to translational clinical Raman spectroscopy. ‘Translation’ refers to the systematic transfer of findings from basic research into concrete applications, for example in medicine. Popp has made a significant contribution to establishing Raman spectroscopy as an important analytical method in biomedical research and further developing it for clinical use.

Popp and his research teams combine fundamental laser-based spectroscopy and imaging techniques with their transfer into clinically usable diagnostic and therapeutic technologies. Their work focuses on areas such as infection research, oncology and precision medicine. Under his leadership, photonic methods – in particular Raman-based approaches – have been further developed into powerful tools for label-free real-time diagnostics.

The Ellis R. Lippincott Award is internationally recognised as one of the most prestigious awards in the field of vibrational spectroscopy. Since 1975, it has been presented to individuals whose work has had a significant impact on the research of other scientists. The award ceremony is scheduled for October 2026 at the SciX conference in Sparks, Nevada (USA).

Further international recognition in quick succession

In January 2026, the professional association SPIE honoured Jürgen Popp with the Biophotonics Technology Innovator Award. The award recognised in particular his contributions to the technological advancement of photonic diagnostics and its transfer into clinical applications, from intraoperative tumour detection to rapid infection diagnostics. ‘I am delighted to receive this award. For me, it represents above all the collaboration between many teams and partners,’ says Popp. ‘Translation can only succeed through close cooperation between chemistry, physics, life sciences and medicine, as well as between research institutions, clinics and industry partners, both nationally and internationally. Advances in biophotonic diagnostics can only be achieved through networks.’

Since 2006, Popp has been Scientific Director of Leibniz IPHT, during which time he has developed the institute into an internationally renowned research environment for photonic biomedical technologies. He is a member of the JenaVersum Executive Board and has initiated numerous strategic partnerships, including close cooperation between the JenaVersum research partners Leibniz IPHT and Jena University Hospital.

Leibniz Institute on Aging and University of Jena investigate role of ribosomal RNA in cancer and ageing processes

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Joint research group investigates rRNA as a biomarker and basis for new therapeutic approaches

According to a recent study by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), part of the World Health Organisation (WHO), the number of cancer cases worldwide will increase by up to 77% by 2050, particularly in industrialised countries. Increasing life expectancy is considered a key driver of this trend.

Against this backdrop, the Leibniz Institute on Aging – Fritz Lipmann Institute (FLI) and Friedrich Schiller University Jena launched the new research project ‘KreDiT RNA’ in January 2026 to investigate the relationship between ageing, rRNA-coding genes and cancer in detail. The jointly led research group of the two JenaVersum partners, which currently has five employees at two locations, is supervised by Prof. Christoph Englert (FLI) and Dr Holger Bierhoff (Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Jena).

The activity of rRNA genes controls the production of ribosomes, the cell’s ‘factories’ for the manufacture of proteins. Overactive rRNA genes lead to increased cell growth and can promote tumour formation, while their inhibition can slow down ageing processes, at least in simple model organisms such as nematodes. Specific inhibition of rRNA synthesis would therefore be a promising cancer therapy, but suitable inhibitors have not yet been clinically established. RNA-based treatment approaches could offer new possibilities here, however. A particularly innovative approach of the ‘KreDiT RNA’ project is the use of the short-lived fish species Nothobranchius furzeri as a model for age-related cancer development. Through targeted genetic manipulation of rRNA synthesis, the aim is to investigate how changes in this system influence cancer development over the course of a lifetime.

The research group is supported by both clinical partners and Thuringian biotech companies. In addition, SPARK@FLI, a special funding programme of the FLI, helps researchers with the translational implementation of their findings. A particular concern of ‘KreDiT RNA’ is to make research more sustainable and environmentally friendly. To this end, the participants will complete training and receive certification from My Green Lab.

The project will be funded by the Thüringer Aufbaubank (TAB) with €1 million over the next three years. With this integrative approach, KreDiT RNA combines basic research, innovative animal models, clinical relevance and sustainability to open up new avenues in cancer diagnostics and therapy.