Credit: Sahtoe group. Copyright: Hubrecht Institute. 7 May 2026 Danny Sahtoe receives NVBMB prize Back to news Danny Sahtoe has been awarded the prestigious NVBMB prize, a prize that gives recognition to the work of a highly talented young independent researcher in the field of biochemistry or molecular biology. The prize includes funding to organize a one-day symposium on a topic of choice. Danny Sahtoe is group leader at the Hubrecht Institute and Investigator at Oncode Institute. The jury of the Netherlands Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (NVBMB) unanimously selected Sahtoe for the 2025 NVBMB prize. According to the NVBMB, Danny has an excellent scientific record and unique expertise in computational protein design, a transformative field where biochemistry meets engineering. The jury was impressed with the consistent strong output of Danny during his PhD and Postdoc training, making groundbreaking discoveries by using innovative and state of the art approaches. During his PhD, Sahtoe studied proteins at the smallest scale possible to learn more about the relationship between a protein’s shape and function. When he started his postdoc research, he shifted his focus from protein structure to protein design. The latter builds on decades of knowledge gathered from studying protein structure and function. It aims to create entirely new proteins for specific desired functions, such as small proteins that can function as therapeutics. During his postdoc, Danny developed several new methods for protein design, opening up a wide range of possibilities in the protein design field that will help us to understand human health and disease. In 2023, Sahtoe started his own research group at the Hubrecht Institute. “Our work can be divided into two lines of research,” Sahtoe explains. “We design new proteins that influence natural proteins and change their function, to better understand the underlying mechanisms of how these natural proteins work. In addition, we design protein that react to their environment. For example, proteins that respond to cancer cells but not to healthy cells.” The symposium organized by Danny Sahtoe will take place at the end of 2026. Danny Sahtoe is group leader at the Hubrecht Institute and investigator at Oncode Institute. About the prize The Netherlands Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (NVBMB) is part of the Royal Netherlands Chemical Society and aims to stimulate the field of biochemistry and molecular biology. The NVBMB prize is awarded to individuals who have significantly advanced the understanding of biochemical processes.
