The laureate of the Katritzky Scholarship 2023 is Mattias Kaspar Krõlov.

The outstanding first-year master's student in the chemistry program at the University of Tartu, Mattias Kaspar Krõlov, has been awarded the prestigious Alan Roy Katritzky Scholarship.

Peeter Burk, former dean of the Faculty of Science and Technology, stated that the Katritzky Scholarship is the best way to commemorate the esteemed professor's legacy in Tartu and, in turn, inspires younger generations of chemists to explore unsolved mysteries in the field of chemistry.

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Scholarship recipient Mattias Kaspar Krõlov graduated with honors in chemistry from the University of Tartu in the spring of 2023. His deep interest in chemistry began during his first year in the Physics, Chemistry, and Materialscience program at the University of Tartu. "Studying chemistry is incredibly fascinating, especially when I can work in the lab on experiments or research projects," said Krõlov. For his thesis, Krõlov investigated the effects of 12 compounds on the viability of a cancer cell model (U87-MG cells) under two oxygen conditions: normoxia and hypoxia. He focused primarily on hypoxia due to its physiological relevance, better describing the conditions found in patients' tumors. The results revealed compounds that could potentially be used in future investigator-initiated clinical trials.

During his master's thesis, he plans to develop a method to determine the expression of cell surface markers in live cells. The plan involves modifying antibodies using the Click reaction and subsequently studying the antibodies on two cell lines. Developing such a method specifically for live cells would be a significant contribution to medicine, as it could accelerate the analysis process for both cell lines and patient samples.

Mattias Kaspar Krõlov encourages those interested in science to definitely study chemistry. He observes that after their studies, chemists have numerous opportunities, not limited to the role of a chemistry teacher, but extending into various industries and ministries. "I would recommend it for sure, some aspects require deeper understanding, but studying natural sciences gives people a new perspective on various societal phenomena and greatly enhances critical thinking skills," said Krõlov.

The Alan Roy Katritzky Scholarship, created in memory of the honorary doctor of the University of Tartu, Professor Alan Roy Katritzky (August 18, 1928 - February 10, 2014), is worth 1000 euros and is aimed at first-year master's students in chemistry. Its purpose is to promote studies and research in the field of chemistry. The scholarship is funded from Professor Katritzky's $25,000 endowment to the University of Tartu.