Leeuwenhoek Prize Lecture: Pathogen assassin: a journey in microbiology

The Leeuwenhoek Medal and Lecture 2025 is awarded to Professor Sir Mike Ferguson CBE FMedSci FRS for major contributions in discovery science and application to the treatment of neglected infectious diseases.

Mike Ferguson is Regius Professor of Life Sciences. He studied in Manchester, London, New York and Oxford before moving to the University of Dundee in 1988. He studies the surface molecular architectures of protozoan parasites and how these influence survival and infectivity. During these studies, Mike and colleagues discovered a new way by which proteins can be attached to cell surfaces, a mechanism which turns out to be widely used in Nature. Wishing to translate discoveries into new medicines, Mike and colleagues established a Drug Discovery Unit in 2006 which has delivered candidate drugs for a variety of infectious diseases. In addition, Mike’s team helped develop a simple diagnostic for human African sleeping-sickness. He also works to provide infrastructure needed to grow Life Sciences companies in an economically challenged part of the UK.

Pathogen assassin: a journey in microbiology. In scientific research, unexpected discoveries and connections are made along the way. Some examples of how microbiology informs human biology, and vice-versa, will be highlighted to illustrate this. The talk will explore how science can provide opportunities to make better, safer medicines and diagnostics for neglected infectious diseases. This will include a description of the complex journey by which new candidate medicines are discovered, optimised and tested, and the international collaborative networks required to span from the laboratory to the patient. Lastly, aspects of the social contract between science and scientists and their public and private stakeholders will be touched upon.

Attending the event

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• Live subtitles will be available in-person and virtually

Attending in person

• This lecture can be attended in-person at the Royal Society
• Doors will open to the public at 6.00pm GMT

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Attending online

• The lecture will also be livestreamed here and on the Royal Society YouTube channel
• You can take part in the live Q&A via Slido
• This event will be recorded (including the live Q&A) and the recording will be available on YouTube soon after the event
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