Lasker Award for Uncovering Spatial Organization in Bacterial Cells | The Scientist

Stanford developmental biologist Lucy Shapiro has won the 2025 Lasker-Koshland Special Achievement Award in Medical Science for revolutionizing our understanding of bacterial cell organization through her groundbreaking 55-year career.

Shapiro's pioneering research using Caulobacter crescentus overturned the prevailing notion that bacteria are simply jumbled sacs of enzymes. Instead, she revealed that bacterial cells possess highly sophisticated spatial organization and genetic circuits that control cell division and development. Her work helped establish the field of systems biology by demonstrating how linear DNA encodes three-dimensional cellular activities. Beyond basic research, Shapiro successfully translated her discoveries into practical applications, developing two FDA-approved drugs and founding biotechnology companies focused on antimicrobial resistance.

• Discovered that bacterial cells contain master regulators like CtrA that control hundreds of genes coordinating cell cycle progression
• Revealed how chromosomal organization and protein localization create asymmetric cell division in bacteria
• Co-founded companies that developed boron-based antimicrobial compounds, leading to approved treatments for eczema and fungal infections
• Established interdisciplinary approaches combining biology, physics, and engineering to understand cellular logic circuits