“Looking at who have been awarded the prize before me, I’m rather proud of being one of them”, Sommerdijk says. “But what might be even better, is that I have been nominated by Stephen Mann, one of the godfathers of this area of expertise. In the eighties, he imitated mineralizations in nature in his lab, and right now he is trying to create life in his laboratory. Stephen has published countless articles and he is a Fellow at the Royal Society. If someone like him notices you and takes the time to recommend you, you can’t but feel honored.”

Extraordinary about the award are the four lectures that are included, which Sommerdijk is to deliver at four British universities. “The lectures should be given between this September and May of 2016. The Royal Society of Chemistry will coordinate the process, they say. I am unsure what that means exactly, but I assume I get to pick the universities. I love to tell my story and get in touch with new people and ideas. Stephen Mann has sent me an excited e-mail asking me to at least visit Bristol, where he works.”

Sommerdijk is inspired by biomineralization: the natural creation of bone, teeth, and shells. Among other things, he tries to create new materials in his lab, including zero-viscosity liquids and coatings for medical implants and solar cells.