David Klenerman, Shankar Balasubramanian and Pascal Mayer 2026 Princess of Asturias Award for Technical & Scientific Research

Statement by David Klenerman following the conferral of the 2026 Princess of Asturias Award for Technical And Scientific Research.

“It is a great honor that our work developing next generation DNA sequencing and the impact that it has made has been recognised by the award of the 2026 Princess of Asturias Award for Technical and Scientific Research. This was very much a team effort and was only made possible by all the talented people at Solexa and then Illumina who have worked on the technology. 

Cambridge has a long history associated with DNA including the discovery of its structure and the invention of the first DNA sequencing method and I am exceedingly grateful to the Princess of Asturias Foundation for recognising this latest contribution and very humbled.”

David Klenerman
Cambridge (United Kingdom), 13th May 2026
 

Statement by Shankar Balasubramanian following the conferral of the 2026 Princess of Asturias Award for Technical And Scientific Research.

“Writing from the University of Cambridge, I would like to express my deepest gratitude for this award for which I am truly honoured to receive.  The science and technology being recognised involved collective contributions from many brilliant people from the University of Cambridge, Solexa, Illumina and Manteia illustrating the importance of collaboration. I thank the Princess of Asturias Foundation for recognising the work and for its important role in supporting science and technology.”

Shankar Balasubramanian
Cambridge (United Kingdom), 13th May 2026
 

Statement by Pascal Mayer following the conferral of the 2026 Princess of Asturias Award for Technical And Scientific Research.

“I am deeply honored to receive the Princess of Asturias Award for Technical and Scientific Research alongside David Klenerman and Shankar Balasubramanian. I receive this distinction with deep gratitude and humility. The emergence of next-generation sequencing was the result of curiosity-driven science, multidisciplinary thinking, and remarkable collaborations across institutions and countries. I hope this award will inspire younger generations to continue exploring the fertile intersections between scientific disciplines, and to keep building a better world for our children and grandchildren.”

Pascal Mayer
Marsat (France), 13th May 2026