Italy's Farmindustria rewards university researchers

Italy's drug industry association, Farmindustria, has awarded two prizes to the best young academic researchers for contributions to pharmaceutical-related science. Maria Letizia Barreca of the University of Messina, Sicily, and Gianluca Sbardella of the University of Salerno, near Naples, were awarded trophies and a 5,000-euros ($7,325) prize.

Ms Barreca's work involves the development and synthesis of new antiviral drugs, while Mr Sbardella has studied the basic mechanisms of tumors. The awards were announced during the 19th convention of the pharmaceutical division of the Italian Chemical Society, at Verona. Farmindustria said it sees a role for the drug industry to encourage young people to enter the life sciences field.