The 2026 Antonio Feltrinelli Prize for Biological Sciences awarded to Nicola Segata
The Accademia dei Lincei has recognised his contributions to microbial genomics and metagenomics
On Friday, 12 June 2026, during the formal closing ceremony of the academic year at the Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei, Professor Nicola Segata was awarded the prestigious 2026 ‘Antonio Feltrinelli’ Prize for Biological Sciences, which is reserved for Italian citizens.
The Academy awarded the prize to Nicola Segata "for his scientific achievements in the field of microbial genomics and for being regarded as one of the pioneers of strain-level metagenomics".
The research carried out by Professor Segata and his team focuses on the human microbiota, the collection of microorganisms that inhabit our bodies and play a fundamental role in health and disease. His pioneering approach to computational metagenomics enables the analysis of microbial communities down to the level of individual bacterial strains, achieving unprecedented resolution.
These studies have made a significant contribution to clarifying how the microbiota directly influences numerous biological processes, including the development of cancer, inflammatory and metabolic diseases, as well as the response to treatments. The findings from the research group have opened new perspectives on the interactions between the microbiome and human health, consolidating Nicola Segata’s position as one of the leading international authorities in the field.
Fotogallery premiazione Nicola Segata
