Nguyen Thao Nguyen, a UK Southampton University final year student, has won the first prize in the chemistry category and the Roscoe Medal in the 13th Set for Britain 2010 programme.

In her research titled Porphyrin-DNA as Scaffold for Nanoarchitecture and Nanotherapy, Nguyen transformed DNAs into chips and nanoelectric transmissions to improve medical therapy in the future. Her research will be applied for skin cancer treatment using laser light.

Initiated by Dr. Eric Wharton, a late Member of the House of Commons, Set for Britain is a scientific contest in 3 categories including Physical Sciences (Chemistry and Physics), Engineering and Biological and Biomedical Science. Winners in each category receive a cash prize of ₤3,000 and the runners-up get ₤1,000 respectively.

Nguyen graduated with a Master of Chemistry at Oxford University and later won the first prize for her research on Medical structures and materials in 2008 and the Young Scientist prize from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) in 2009.