The TWAS winners are:

• Faiza Al-Kharafi (TWAS Fellow 2004), professor of chemistry, Kuwait University, Safat, Kuwait, for her work on corrosion, a problem of fundamental importance to water treatment and the oil industry.

• Vivian Wing-Wah Yam (TWAS Fellow 2006), professor of chemistry and energy, University of Hong Kong, China, for her work on light-emitting materials and innovative ways of capturing solar energy.

• Sylvia Torres-Peimbert (TWAS Fellow 2001), professor emeritus, Institute of Astronomy, Autonomous National University of Mexico (UNAM), Mexico City, Mexico, for her work on the chemical composition of nebulae which is fundamental to our understanding of the origin of the universe.

They are joined by Anne L’Huillier, Lund University, Sweden, and Jillian Banfield, University of California, Berkeley, USA.

The L'Oreal-UNESCO Prize for Women in Science, which was inaugurated in 1998, includes a USD100,000 cash prize for each winner. The awards ceremony will take place on 3 March 2011 at UNESCO's headquarters in Paris, France.

For a description of each winner's accomplishment, see www.forwomeninscience.com.