The 2015 Royal Society of Chemistry Applied Inorganic Chemistry Award winner is Yi Lu.  He received the this honor for his original research on the catalytic activity of DNA in the presence of metal ions, and the development of a new class of sensors for on-site and real-time detection of metal ions in environmental monitoring, food safety, and medical diagnostics.  RSC announcement of award.

Award recipients are evaluated for the originality and impact of their research, as well as the quality of the results, which can be shown in publications, patents or software. The awards recognize achievements by individuals, teams and organizations in advancing the chemical sciences. The society is one of the world's leading chemistry communities, advancing excellence in the chemical sciences.

Professor Lu joined the University of Illinois in 1994.  He has been recognized with numerous research and teaching awards during his tenure here. He is also an entrepreneur and inventor, co-founding the companies ANDalyze, (providing instruments for environmental monitoring) and GlucoSentient (devices for medical monitoring).