Professor's work wins $1m prize

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A Bristol University professor has won a prestigious international award worth US $1m (£495,000) in recognition of his work in organic geochemistry.

Emeritus Professor Geoffrey Eglinton FRS of the University's School of Chemistry is a Senior Research Fellow in Earth Sciences.

He was named as one of the winners of the Dan David Prize.

Other 2008 laureates are the former Vice-President of the US, Al Gore and acclaimed playwright, Tom Stoppard.

The laureates, who donate 10% of their prize money towards 20 doctoral and postdoctoral scholarships, will be honoured at a ceremony on 19 May 2008 at Tel Aviv University in the presence of the President of the State of Israel, Mr Shimon Peres.

Climate change

The prize is awarded in three categories dubbed 'Past, Present and Future Time Dimensions'.

These are: 'Creative Rendering of the Past - Literature, Theatre, Film', 'Social Responsibility with Particular Emphasis on the Environment' and 'Geosciences'.

Professor Eglinton was recognised in the Geosciences category for his studies of organic chemical fossils, which reveal the inhabitants and climates of ancient worlds.

He shares the prize with Ellen Moseley-Thompson and Lonnie G. Thompson of Ohio State University for their study of ice cores.

"This award to Geoffrey Eglington is most deserved in view of his truly ground-breaking contributions which combine the principles of chemistry and geology to reconstruct past environments and climate change," said Professor Richard Evershed of the School of Chemistry.

"His development of biomolecular measurements to determine ocean temperature was before its time and has become enormously important in the climate change debate."

The prize is named after international businessman and philanthropist Dan David.