Ruth Ley receives IFF Science Award
Recognition for her work to understand how humans and our microbiomes interact.
Ruth Ley, Director of the Department of Microbiome Science at the Tübingen Max Planck Institute for Biology and Deputy Spokesperson at CMFI, has been awarded the IFF Science Award 2026. Together with Emily Balskus, Professor at Harvard University, she was honoured for their groundbreaking scientific achievements in microbiome science research.
Ruth Ley is known for her pioneering work in the field of microbiome science, and her research has changed the way people understand the influence of microbial communities on health and disease, thus helping to establish the microbiome as a key area of contemporary biomedical research.
Using insights from evolutionary biology, ecology, and genomics, her research has shown how the long-established relationships between humans and their microbes influence biological function. Having linked basic discoveries to issues concerning human health, she has contributed to a new understanding of the microbiome's role in medicine and society.
The award was presented at the IFF Innovation Day in Madison, USA, on 14th October 2026.
About the IFF Science Awards
The IFF Science Awards, formerly known as the Danisco Foundation Science Excellence Awards, are a prestigious annual recognition of groundbreaking scientific achievements in fields that shape the future of food, nutrition, health, and biosciences.
Established in 2002 by the Danisco Foundation, the awards were created to spotlight external scientists whose work contributes to improving food products and advancing human and planetary health. The Danisco Foundation itself was founded in 1981 with a mission to fund and support food science and research. Following IFF’s merger with DuPont Nutrition & Biosciences in 2021, IFF proudly carries forward the legacy of these awards, deepening our commitment to scientific progress and global collaboration.
(Source: Press Release by the MPI for Biology Tübingen, 16.10.2026)
Leon Kokkoliadis
Public Relations Management
University of Tübingen
Interfaculty Institute for Microbiology and Infection Medicine (IMIT)
Cluster of Excellence “Controlling Microbes to Fight Infections” (CMFI)
Tel: +49 7071 29-74707
Prof. Ruth Ley, PhD
Max Planck Institute for Biology
Managing Director
Department of Microbiome Science
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung