The German Working Group for Analytical Spectroscopy (DAAS) of the GDCh Division of Analytical Chemistry awards the DAAS Prize on the occasion of ANAKON to honour outstanding scientific work - usually dissertations - in the field of analytical spectroscopy and in particular the micro- and trace analysis of elements and elemental species. The award is intended to recognise and promote outstanding young scientists at the end of or shortly after their doctorate. The award comes with a certificate and prize money of 1500 euros donated by Merck. Nominations can only be submitted by DAAS members. The awarding of the prize is decided by a prize committee appointed by the DAAS board.

Following the merger of the Working Group for Micro- and Trace Analysis of Elements and Elemental Species (A.M.S.El.) and the German Working Group for Applied Spectroscopy (DASp) the name of the prize was changed from A.M.S.El. Prize to DAAS Prize . The donation of the prize money by Merck KGaA and the guidelines for awarding the prize remained unchanged.

The prize has not yet been announced.

The prize, sponsored by Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, was awarded at ANAKON 2025 in Leipzig to Dr Andrea Teuber - in recognition of her dissertation entitled "Advanced Quantum Cascade Laser Infrared Attenuated Total Reflection Spectroscopy", which she wrote under the supervision of Prof Dr Boris Mizaikoff at the University of Ulm:

"Andrea Teuber was the first to use thin-film waveguide sensors under extreme conditions, e.g. for biofilm analyses, and she played a key role in the further development of vibrational spectroscopy. This includes the further development of ATR technology, further miniaturisation, the improvement of robustness and thus the expansion of the application areas of vibrational spectroscopy."

The prize was awarded at ANAKON 2023 in Vienna to Dr Carla Kirschbaum - in recognition of her dissertation entitled "Lipid Fingerprinting by Mass Spectrometry and the Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society, which she completed under the supervision of Prof. Dr Kevin Pagel at the Free University of Berlin and the Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society with the title "Lipid Fingerprinting by Mass Spectrometry and Laser Light":

"Ms Kirschbaum's achievement is best illustrated by six prizes and fifteen publications on the subject of analytical spectroscopy of lipids, some of which appeared in the most prestigious journals. She was the first to use cryogenic infrared action spectroscopy to study complex biomolecules. In particular, she was able to distinguish between isomers of glycolipids, sphingolipids and fatty acids using fingerprints in the infrared spectrum. Furthermore, Ms Kirschbaum's achievement is characterised by her involvement with a variety of analytical spectrometric techniques - such as tandem mass spectrometry, with which she was able to impressively elucidate the mechanism of glycerolipid fragmentation."

The prize was awarded to Dr Gerrit Renner on the occasion of the virtual DAAS doctoral seminar for his dissertation written at the University of Duisburg-Essen.

Presentation of the DAAS Award at ANAKON 2019 in Münster to Darya Mozhayeva (left) by Dr Peter Leonhard (right).

Photo: WWU Münster

*Adjustment of the award year to the award year