It is with great pleasure that we announce Professor Benjamin List, from the Max-Planck-Institut für Kohlenforschung, Germany, as the winner of the OBC Lecture Award 2007.

Over the past few years, List has become a key personality in the field of organocatalysis. This catalytic method works towards environmentally benign 'green' syntheses to complement existing strategies for selective catalysis such as biocatalysis and transition metal catalysis.

List's OBC Award Lecture will be given at the 20th International Symposium: Synthesis in Organic Chemistry conference to take place in Cambridge, 16th-19th July 2007.

'I am delighted to receive this award and happily accept it', says List. 'I will most likely discuss only one subject, "Asymmetric counteranion directed catalysis".'

An Emerging Area article by List is also one of the most downloaded articles in OBC for 2006. His article entitled 'Asymmetric organocatalysis' has received much attention and continues to be well read.

The Award is given to chemists who have made a significant research contribution to organic or bioorganic chemistry, and ideally who have had an independent research career of between 8 and 15 years. The call for nominations triggered a great response from the organic and bioorganic community, with the winner being selected from all the nominees by a panel of judges.