27/24
17 December 2024

The German Chemical Society (GDCh) is honouring Professor Dr Benny Kwok-Kan Chan, Biodiversity Research Center (BRC), Academia Sinica, Taiwan, with the Mario Markus Prize for Ludic Sciences. The prize, endowed with 10,000 euros, honours scientific work in the field of natural sciences that is characterised by its playful nature. Chan received the prize for his research into the mobility of barnacles. He observed that some barnacles - contrary to the prevailing opinion - are able to move and proved this observation scientifically. The award ceremony will take place on 14 January at a public event on the premises of the Physikalischer Verein in Frankfurt am Main.

Chan and his research team investigated the mobility of barnacles that live on turtles. Traditionally, it was assumed that barnacles adhere firmly to their substrate and are immobile. However, Chan's research shows that these barnacles can dissolve their so-called cement proteins - sticky proteins that hold them to the substrate. This allows them to glide and then stick again.

The team also found that both larvae and adult barnacles have specialised cement proteins for different life stages and functions. Surprisingly, although adult barnacles from similar habitats have similar sets of cement proteins, the number of specific, varied protein versions can differ. This diversity allows barnacles to adapt to many different environments.

Although Chan's research is playfully inspired, there are already ideas for applications. For example, understanding these cement proteins could help to develop a strong and versatile adhesive for underwater applications in the future.

Benny Kwok-Kan Chan initially studied environmental sciences at the University of Hong Kong before completing his doctorate in marine ecology there in 2000. In the following years, he remained loyal to the University of Hong Kong, working there first as a post-doctoral fellow and later as a research assistant professor in the field of marine ecology. In 2005, he moved to the Biodiversity Research Centre (BRC), Academia Sinica, Taiwan, where he is now Director and also a Research Fellow in the field of marine ecology. Chan conducts research on barnacles and their coastal habitats to study the diversity, phylogeography, ecology and evolution of Indo-Pacific marine fauna. His research ranges from genes and molecules to ecosystems. Since 2003, he has published 212 scientific articles, 16 book chapters and eight books. In 2022, he was elected President of the international society for professional crustacean researchers, The Crustacean Society (TCS), for a two-year term, with which he is still associated today as Immediate Past President.

The Mario Markus Prize for Ludic Science, endowed with 10,000 euros, is funded by Professor Dr Mario Markus, Dortmund, who has dedicated himself to Ludic science and coined the term. After all, while research projects today are increasingly being carried out with a view to concrete applicability, a look into the past shows that we have been gaining new knowledge through play and sheer curiosity since ancient times.

The Mario Marcus Prize for Ludic Sciences will be awarded on 14 January 2025 in cooperation with the Physikalischer Verein in the lecture hall of the Physikalischer Verein at Robert-Mayer-Straße 2 in Frankfurt/Main. During the event, the prizewinner will explain his research in more detail. All interested parties are cordially invited. Please register at www.gdch.de/mariomarkus.

With around 30,000 members, the German Chemical Society (GDCh) is one of the largest chemical societies in the world. It promotes scientific work, research and teaching as well as the exchange and dissemination of scientific knowledge. One of its aims is to make modern chemistry understandable to interested members of the public and thus open up connections in science and technology to them.

The press release as a PDF document

Image material for download:

26/24
26 November 2024

Dr Ruth Bieringer, Vice President Material Technologies at Freudenberg Sealing Technologies, will be awarded the Meyer-Galow Prize for Industrial Chemistry 2024 on 10 December. The prize from the foundation of the same name is organised by the German Chemical Society (GDCh) and is endowed with 10,000 euros. She receives the prize for the development of high-temperature-resistant plastics and for the development of novel flame retardant barriers. Both innovations are of great importance for the operational safety of modern lithium-ion batteries.

With Quantix® ULTRA plastics, Ruth Bieringer and her team have succeeded in developing a family of materials characterised by exceptional heat and flame resistance. Even at temperatures of up to 1200 degrees Celsius, these plastics do not melt or catch fire. The fact that they can be easily processed by injection moulding also enables the production of complex components. This makes the plastics particularly suitable for applications in electromobility, for example in electric vehicle batteries, where there are high safety requirements in terms of fire protection.

As a second innovation, Bieringer and her team developed flame protection barriers that can prevent the spread of flames, gases and particles to other cells and live parts. To do this, they increased the heat resistance of silicone rubber by combining it with special fibres and fillers so that these electrically insulating materials can also withstand temperatures of 1200°C for at least 10 minutes. The materials can be processed into mats, profiles or complex 3D geometries by injection moulding or extrusion.

With the Meyer-Galow Prize for Industrial Chemistry, the Meyer-Galow Foundation and the GDCh recognise the fact that Ruth Bieringer, in her role as Head of Materials Development in Central Research and as Head of the cross-business group technology platform Polymers, has driven forward fundamental technology developments and sought early networking with the business groups. After moving to the responsible business unit, she coordinated the further development of the material families with the teams, supported product development and market entry and was thus able to cover the entire spectrum from initial idea generation to commercially viable results.

The commercialisation of both material families is in full swing. Possible further developments for applications beyond electromobility are also currently being examined.

Ruth Bieringer, born in 1971, studied chemistry at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz before completing her doctorate in polymer chemistry at the University of Bayreuth in 1999. She then began her career at Freudenberg, which has taken her through several stages to her current position. Since 2020, she has been Vice President Material Technology at Freudenberg Sealing Technologies in Weinheim. She is also a lecturer at the RheinMain University of Applied Sciences in the field of materials science (polymers). Ruth Bieringer is also actively involved in the German Rubber Society (DKG), the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA), the German Institute of Rubber Technology (DIK) and the GDCh. In the latter, Ruth Bieringer was a member of the board of the Macromolecular Chemistry Division. She is currently Chair of the Advisory Board of the Dr Hermann Schnell Foundation, which aims to promote young scientists in the field of macromolecular chemistry, its physical-chemical principles and analytics. She has also been a member of the GDCh Board of Directors since January 2024.

The award ceremony will take place on 10 December 2024 at 3:30 pm at Freudenberg Sealing Technologies in Weinheim. GDCh Deputy President Professor Dr Karsten Danielmeier will present the award to Dr Ruth Bieringer, who will introduce the award-winning projects.

About the prize:

The Meyer-Galow Prize for Industrial Chemistry is awarded annually to scientists in German-speaking countries who have successfully introduced a current innovation in chemistry to the market. The focus is on market launches that prioritise the aspect of sustainability. The prize was donated by Professor Dr Erhard Meyer-Galow, former CEO of Hüls AG and former President of the GDCh. Meyer-Galow worked primarily at the interface between chemistry and the market and lectured on "Business Chemistry in the Chemical Industry" at the University of Münster.

The German Chemical Society (GDCh) is one of the largest chemical societies in the world with around 30,000 members. It has 27 specialised groups as well as 60 local associations and regional forums of the JCF (JungesChemieForum). The GDCh promotes scientific work as well as the exchange and dissemination of new scientific findings. It maintains numerous foundations, such as the Meyer-Galow Foundation for Industrial Chemistry, which Professor Dr Erhard Meyer-Galow established in 2012 to further promote industrial chemistry. Further information can be found at www.gdch.de

Freudenberg Sealing Technologies is a long-standing technology expert and global market leader for sophisticated and innovative applications in sealing technology and electromobility. With its unique materials and technology expertise, the company is a proven supplier of sophisticated products and applications as well as a development and service partner for customers in the automotive industry and general industry. In the 2023 financial year, Freudenberg Sealing Technologies generated sales of around €2.6 billion and employed around 13,100 people. Further information can be found at www.fst.com.

The company is part of the global Freudenberg Group, which generated sales of almost 12 billion euros in the 2023 financial year with its Seals and Vibration Control Technology, Nonwovens and Filtration, Household Products and Specialities divisions and employed around 52,200 people in some 60 countries. Further information can be found at www.freudenberg.com.

The press release as a PDF document

Image material for download:

25/24
6 November 2024

The Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker (GDCh) is honouring the author Bonnie Garmus and the translation team, consisting of Ulrike Wasel and Klaus Timmermann, with the GDCh Prize for Journalism and Literature 2024 for the book 'Eine Frage der Chemie'. The award ceremony will take place on 20 November at the GDCh office in Frankfurt am Main.

Bonnie Garmus published a bestseller in 2022 with the book 'A Question of Chemistry' (original title: Lessons in Chemistry), which not only has 'chemistry' in the title, but also addresses chemical issues. For example, she discusses chemistry in cooking and the role that chemistry may have played in the origin of life. She portrays many chemists and one female chemist in a true-to-life way, without resorting to common clichés such as 'chemists as magicians and fireworks'. She also impressively portrays the discrimination and harassment of women in the academic world of the 1950s and 1960s. The translation team Ulrike Wasel and Klaus Timmermann have done an excellent job of translating the work into German and making it accessible to the German-speaking public.

The GDCh Prize for Journalism and Literature is awarded for outstanding journalistic or literary achievements that contribute in a special way to the dissemination of chemical science content in German-speaking countries, regardless of the language. The award is endowed with 7500 euros.

Bonnie Garmus has worked internationally as a creative director, primarily in the fields of medicine, education and technology. Born in California, she lived in Seattle for many years. Today, the mother of two grown-up daughters lives with her husband in London. 'A Question of Chemistry' is her first novel.

Ulrike Wasel and Klaus Timmermann, both born in 1955, discovered their shared love of literary translation after completing their English studies at the University of Düsseldorf. Since then, they have worked for numerous renowned publishing houses and have translated over 300 titles to date. The books they have translated have won several awards. Both live and work in Düsseldorf.

The award ceremony will take place on 20 November at 7:15 pm at the GDCh office (Varrentrappstraße 40-42, 60486 Frankfurt a.M.). After a welcoming address by GDCh President Prof Dr Stefanie Dehnen, there will be a short reading from 'A Question of Chemistry' before the award ceremony. Representatives of the media are cordially invited to the event. Please register with Jasmin Herr (j.herr@gdch.de).

With around 30,000 members, the German Chemical Society (GDCh) is the largest chemical society in continental Europe. It promotes scientific work, research and teaching as well as the exchange and dissemination of new scientific findings, including through transdisciplinary and international cooperation. The GDCh is also committed to modern education and training in schools, universities and professional environments.

The press release as a pdf document

Image material for download:

24/24
1 October 2024

The August Wilhelm von Hofmann Foundation established by the German Chemical Society (GDCh) is once again awarding scholarships for the 2025 summer semester. Bachelor's, diploma or final-year students of chemistry and related fields can receive funding of 300 euros per month for up to 18 months from April 2025. Applications can be submitted via the online portal until 1 February 2025.

Students in chemistry and related fields with very good academic achievements who have limited financial resources can apply for one of around twenty scholarships from the August Wilhelm von Hofmann Foundation. Commitment outside of studies is also favourably considered. Students who are in their fourth or fifth semester at the start of the 2025 summer semester are eligible for funding. The funding does not count towards BAföG benefits.

The August Wilhelm von Hofmann Scholarships are intended to support motivated and talented students - especially those with limited financial resources. The foundation was established by a long-standing GDCh member who died in 2010 and bequeathed the majority of his estate to the GDCh to support talented chemistry students. It is named after the first president of the GDCh's predecessor organisation, the German Chemical Society, which was founded in 1867. Since its introduction, over 300 students have already benefited from the funding and have become part of the August Wilhelm von Hofmann network.

Further information and application at www.gdch.de/hofmannstiftung

The German Chemical Society (GDCh) is one of the largest chemical societies in the world with around 30,000 members. The GDCh manages numerous dependent foundations on a fiduciary basis. The purpose of these foundations is to award prizes, sponsorship awards and scholarships. Foundation advisory boards decide on the awarding of prizes, awards and scholarships.

The press release as a pdf document

Image material for download:

23/24
6 September 2024

The European Chemical Society, jointly with the German Chemical Society (GDCh) and the German Universities Chemistry Department Consortium (KFC), provided feedback on the European Commission's Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) framework pilot.

SSbD is a voluntary framework that can be applied during the chemical- and material related innovation process in order to minimise negative effects on human health and environment, as well as the use of harmful substances and in general, make the process more sustainable.

Chemical Societies welcome the initiative and its holistic, science-based approach to improving safety and sustainability in the development of chemicals and materials. However, as key feedback, Chemical Societies advise against "blanket bans" on entire classes of chemicals, as such measures could hinder scientific freedoms and basic research. Chemical Societies call for a balanced approach and exemptions in case of basic research and chemical education. In their feedback, Chemical Societies highlight that training in the safe handling of hazardous chemicals is an integral component of academic programmes.

Chemical education is fundamental for the implementation of the SSbD principle, as it plays a critical role in preparing future chemists to meet the highest standards of proficiency. Therefore, Chemical Societies emphasise the importance of chemical education in their feedback, and call for the integration of the principles of green chemistry, green engineering, sustainable chemistry, ecotoxicology, life cycle assessment, recycle chemistry, and safe and sustainable by design into university curricula.

Chemical Societies underscore the link between basic research and chemical education, and the key role universities play in performing these tasks and call for the establishment of funding programmes to facilitate the adoption of SSbD principles into basic research, and contribute to the sustainability of the discipline.

Chemical Societies also pointed out the vast resources learned chemical societies represent. These communities of 160,000 active chemists across Europe strengthen the EU's knowledge-based society. Therefore, Chemical Societies advised policymakers to utilise this network in addressing societal challenges by creating forward-looking framework conditions that prioritize innovation, collaboration, and sustainability.

MORE INFO ON EUCHEMS' POLICY ADVISORY ACTIVITIES

https://www.euchems.eu/communication/chemicals-strategy/
https://www.euchems.eu/communication/science-policy-advice/

ABOUT GDCh, EUCHEMS AND CONTACTS

The German Chemical Society (Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker, GDCh) has around 30,000 members and is one of the largest chemical societies in the world. It promotes scientific research and teaching as well as the exchange and dissemination of new scientific knowledge. The GDCh supports the creation of networks, transdisciplinary and international cooperation, and continuous education and training in schools, universities and professional environments. The GDCh has 27 divisions and 60 local sections.

EuChemS, the European Chemical Society, is an umbrella organisation representing national Chemical Societies and other chemistry-related organisations in Europe. EuChemS aims to nurture a platform for scientific discussion and to provide a single, unbiased European voice on key policy issues in Chemistry and related fields. Through the promotion of Chemistry and by providing expert and scientific advice, EuChemS aims to take part in the solution to today's major societal challenges.

Professor Guido Kickelbick
KFC Spokesperson guido.kickelbick@uni-saarland.de

Dr. Hans-Georg Weinig
GDCh Director Education, Carreer and Science h.weinig@gdch.de

Dr Nineta Hrastelj
EuChemS Secretary General nineta.hrastelj@euchems.eu

Press release as a PDF document

22/24
27 August 2024

The 52nd German Food Chemistry Days will take place at the Technical University of Munich in Freising from 16 to 18 September. The annual conference of the Lebensmittelchemische Gesellschaft (LChG), the largest specialist group of the Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker (GDCh), will focus on food quality and consumer protection. Topics include the challenges facing control laboratories with regard to the Cannabis Act, the testing of sunscreens and the automated analysis of wine ingredients.

The new Cannabis Act poses new challenges for official control laboratories when analysing and assuring the quality of cannabis products. The legal requirements for random checks are still unclear. There is a lack of assessment standards, tolerance ranges and standardised methods for cannabinoids such as THC and CBD, as well as their residues. Whereas in the past the focus was on criminalising cannabis, today the focus is on protecting users. Random tests are intended to ensure the purity and correct declaration of THC and CBD content. Dr Dirk W. Lachenmeier from the CVUA Karlsruhe will be presenting an efficient control option at the conference. Together with his team, he has developed a procedure that combines various analytical methods. According to Lachenmeier, standardising this procedure could ensure consistent quality assurance and increase safety for consumers. It also increases legal certainty for growers' associations and laboratories.

The presentation by Dr Maren Hegmanns, also from the CVUA Karlsruhe, promises exciting insights into the testing of sunscreen products. UV radiation is the main cause of skin cancer and can cause many other health problems. Sunscreens can protect against this. However, they must be safe, must not contain any harmful substances and must have the specified sun protection factor (SPF). Determining the sun protection factor is not comparable with traditional analytical methods. The "gold standard" is in vivo determination, in which test subjects are exposed to UV radiation. Two alternative methods are in preparation, but are complex and expensive. Last year, Hegmanns and her team analysed over 150 sunscreens using a new method. Organic UV filters were determined using HPLC-DAD and inorganic UV filters using photometry or complexometric titration. The sun protection factor was determined theoretically using an in-silico calculator. It was found that many products, especially those with "SPF 50+", showed deviations of more than 40 per cent. In vivo SPF results were requested for these samples and analysed further. In her presentation, Hegmanns explains the procedure. She will also discuss how sunscreens can be tested for contaminants and how this can improve product quality.

Philip Mayr, Bavarian State Office for Health and Food Safety, Würzburg, presents a method that can be used to quickly and easily check the ingredients of wine. This is because with the amendment to EU wine legislation, wine products will have to include a list of ingredients and a nutritional declaration directly on the bottle or via an online link from December 2023. Previously, only allergenic ingredients had to be labelled. In order to be able to quickly and easily check the accuracy of the declared ingredients, Mayr and his team have established and validated a new quantification method in addition to the existing classification methods. This makes it possible to quantitatively determine all relevant wine parameters simultaneously and analyse them with software support by calibrating just two substances externally. At the conference, Mayr will explain how the team went about this and how the method is being continuously developed.

These and other current topics relating to food safety and consumer protection are on the programme of the 52nd German Food Chemistry Days. The full programme and further information can be found at www.gdch.de/lchtage2024.

With around 30,000 members, the GDCh is one of the largest chemical science societies in the world. It has 27 specialist groups, including the Food Chemistry Society, whose task is to promote the exchange of ideas in the field of food chemistry and its neighbouring disciplines and to provide technical suggestions. With over 2600 members, the Food Chemistry Society is the largest specialist group in the GDCh.

The press release as a pdf document

21/24
22 August 2024

On 1 October, the German Chemical Society (GDCh) will award Professor Dr Andreas Marx, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, with the Albrecht Kossel Prize. He receives the prize, which is endowed with 7500 euros, for his pioneering contributions to chemical biology. The award ceremony will take place during the "Biochemistry 2024" conference of the GDCh Biochemistry Division, which will be held in Dortmund from 30 September to 2 October under the motto "New Frontiers in Chemical Biology and Biochemistry".

Andreas Marx is recognised as one of the world's leading scientists in the field of biochemistry and chemical biology. His research has made pioneering contributions to the study of protein-nucleic acid interactions. The selection committee was impressed by Marx's first-class work, in which he focussed on the functions of DNA, RNA and proteins. He has gained valuable insights into DNA polymerases, RNA ligases and post-translational protein modifications and developed corresponding applications. The Commission sees Marx's work as a shining example of the symbiosis of different scientific disciplines in the molecular life sciences.

Andreas Marx, born in 1968, studied chemistry in Freiburg, Sussex, UK, and Bonn. After graduating from Ruhr University Bochum in 1994, he completed his doctorate at the University of Basel in 1997. He then moved to Nagoya University, Japan, for a postdoctoral period before joining the Kekulé Institute for Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry at the Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn as a group leader in 1999. There he completed his habilitation in organic chemistry and biochemistry in 2003. In 2004, he was appointed Professor at the Chair of Organic Chemistry / Cellular Chemistry at the University of Konstanz. Marx has been President of Friedrich Schiller University Jena since August 2024. He has already received two ERC Advanced Grants for his work, in addition to numerous other awards.

Further information on the conference can be found at www.gdch.de/biochemistry2024

With around 30,000 members, the German Chemical Society (GDCh) is one of the largest chemical societies in the world. It has 27 specialised groups and sections and awards numerous prizes for outstanding achievements in various sub-disciplines of chemistry. The Albrecht Kossel Prize, endowed with 7500 euros, was established in 2012 and awarded for the first time in 2014. The namesake of the prize, Ludwig Karl Martin Leonhard Albrecht Kossel (1853-1927), was a German biochemist, physician and physiologist. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1910 for his research on the cell nucleus and the isolation of nucleic acids and determination of their constitutions.

The press release as a pdf document

Image material for download:

20/24
14 August 2024

From 16 to 18 September, the joint lecture conference for inorganic chemistry of the Wöhler-Vereinigung and Solid State Chemistry and Materials Research sections will take place. The specialist groups of the German Chemical Society (GDCh) will be presenting the latest trends from all areas of inorganic chemistry at the Technical University of Munich. In addition, several prestigious awards will be presented during the conference. For example, Professor Dr Peter W. Roesky will receive the Marianne Baudler Prize.

The conference programme will focus on the entire spectrum of modern inorganic and solid-state chemistry through to industrial applications and important future topics. The spectrum of presentations ranges from main group element chemistry and the coordination chemistry of d- and f-block elements to solid state and materials chemistry in basic research and industrial applications.

Directly at the beginning of the conference on 16 September, Professor Dr Peter W. Roesky, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, will receive the Marianne Baudler Prize, endowed with 7500 euros. The GDCh honours Roesky as a nationally and internationally highly visible, highly esteemed and creative scientist with wide-ranging research interests - from lanthanide and main group chemistry to the combination of both, to noble metal complexes and clusters. He is not only interested in making structurally interesting compounds accessible, but also always has applications such as catalysis and luminescence in mind. In addition to his world-renowned research activities, the selection committee emphasised Roesky's great commitment to the chemical community.

Peter W. Roesky, born in Göttingen in 1967, studied chemistry at the University of Würzburg. After completing his doctorate at the Technical University of Munich in 1994, he went to Northwestern University, Evanston, USA, as a postdoctoral researcher. In 1999, he habilitated at the University of Karlsruhe. He subsequently worked there as a private lecturer before moving to the Free University of Berlin as Professor of Inorganic Chemistry in 2001. From 2007 to 2008, he was also Director of the Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry and Vice Dean for Research in the Department of Biology, Chemistry and Pharmacy. In 2008, he accepted an appointment at the University of Karlsruhe - since 2009 the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), where he is still Professor of Inorganic Functional Materials. From 2013 to 2015, he was Dean of the Faculty of Chemistry and Biosciences, and in the two years before and after that he served as Vice Dean of the Faculty. From 2017 to 2018, he was an adjunct professor at Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, AUS.

Roesky has already received numerous awards for his work. He is involved in numerous research networks and is also strongly committed to the chemical community outside of his scientific work. He is currently Chairman of the Board of the Wöhler Association and a member of the DFG Chemistry Expert Forum. Roesky has been a member of the GDCh for thirty years.

The Marianne Baudler Prize has been awarded since 1950 and was known as the "Alfred Stock Memorial Prize" until 2021. In 2022, the GDCh Board decided to rename the prize due to Alfred Stock's anti-Semitic attitude and actions during the Nazi era. Marianne Baudler (1921 - 2003) was Professor of Inorganic Chemistry at the University of Cologne and received the prize named after her in 1986. Her research interests were primarily in the field of phosphorus compounds.

At the conference, Professor Dr Holger Kohlmann, University of Leipzig, will also be awarded the Rudolf Hoppe Lecture of the GDCh's Solid State Chemistry and Materials Research Division. The named lecture is endowed with 1000 euros and comes with an invitation to give four lectures. With this award, the division recognises in particular that Kohlmann has developed and shaped the chemistry of inorganic hydrides over many years and has set standards for both the synthesis of solid-state hydrides and their analysis.

This year's TANIOBIS PhD Prize of the Solid State Chemistry and Materials Research Division - endowed with 5000 euros and sponsored by TANIOBIS GmbH - goes to Dr Janine Richter. In her dissertation, written at the Technical University of Dresden, she investigated the possibilities and underlying chemical principles that could lead to a more sustainable extraction of element metals from primary and secondary raw materials that are as unrefined as possible using ionic liquids and deep eutectic solvents.

The Wöhler Association for Inorganic Chemistry is also awarding the Wöhler-BASF Young Scientist Prize, endowed with 5000 euros, to Dr Moritz Malischewski from the Free University of Berlin. He receives the award for his research on metal complexes with highly fluorinated cyclopentadienyl ligands and the preparation of unusual and highly reactive coordination compounds under superacidic or strongly oxidising conditions.

In addition, the division honoured two young scientists with the Wöhler Doctoral Prize for Inorganic Chemistry, which is endowed with 1000 euros. Dr Susanne M. Rupf receives the prize for her dissertation entitled "Acceptor-Substituted Cyclopentadienyl Compounds", which she wrote at the Free University of Berlin. Dr Philipp Dabringhaus receives the award for his dissertation entitled "Synthesis of Main-Group Cations: From Lewis Acidic Group 2 to Low-Valent Group 13 Compounds", which he wrote at the Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg.

Finally, the 10th volume of the autobiography series "Lebenswerke in der Chemie" will also be presented at the opening event. The series, initiated by the GDCh's "History of Chemistry" section, portrays important chemists of contemporary history. The latest volume is the autobiography of the renowned chemist Professor Dr Hubert Schmidbaur, who will be present in person.

With around 30,000 members, the German Chemical Society is one of the largest chemical societies in the world. It has 27 specialist groups as well as 60 local chapters and regional forums of the JCF (Young Chemists' Forum). The GDCh promotes scientific work as well as the exchange and dissemination of new scientific findings. It supports the creation of networks, transdisciplinary and international cooperation and continuous education and training at school, university and in the workplace.

The press release as a pdf document

Image material for download:

19/24
12 August 2024

On 1 August 2024, Dr Tom Kinzel took over the management of the German Chemical Society (GDCh). He succeeds Professor Dr Wolfram Koch, who led the GDCh for almost 22 years and has now retired. In his new role, Kinzel intends above all to continue to breathe life into the GDCh's guiding principles and to support the honorary office. As a former Alliance Manager, he would also like to promote the chemical community together with friendly organisations.

Before taking office, Tom Kinzel spent three months familiarising himself with the processes in the office. However, his first contact with the GDCh took place much earlier. "During my studies and my doctorate, I received travel grants from the GDCh. Without this support, I would not have been able to take the path I have taken and I am deeply grateful for it," Kinzel recalls. Even then, he joined the GDCh, of which he has been a member for around twenty years.

Since May, Kinzel has also been getting to know the GDCh from an internal perspective. "I have observed an enormous enthusiasm for the work and a strong identification with the GDCh's non-profit goals among the employees. Here, as well as in the good financial situation, lies one of the most important merits of my predecessor, Professor Wolfram Koch: the GDCh is very well positioned to face the challenges of the future," summarises Kinzel. "But the office with its full-time staff is only part of the architecture. I am also impressed by the high level of commitment with which the volunteers contribute to the functioning of the GDCh."

Kinzel already has plans for the future direction of the GDCh: "The GDCh follows four guiding principles, namely relevance in society and politics, a lively network of committed members, a globally leading organisation and the creation of new forms of cooperation and communication. We need to examine the extent to which the GDCh's offerings for the chemical community correspond to these guiding principles, where much progress has already been made and where we are perhaps still at the beginning. I would also like to take a close look at how we deal with volunteers, because only together can we create added value for the chemical community. So we want to continue to achieve a lot for the chemical community and our members!"

Tom Kinzel studied chemistry in Göttingen, where he completed his doctorate in organic chemistry. After a postdoctoral stay at MIT in the USA, he started his career as a laboratory manager at Bayer Pharma in Wuppertal in 2011. After several professional positions, he headed the Open Innovation Centres China and Europe, which are responsible for alliances and collaborations with external partners. In 2022, Kinzel moved to Nuvisan ICB, a company that researches new active ingredients on behalf of the pharmaceutical industry. There he headed the Services department within the Life Science Chemistry division. In 2023, he also completed an EMBA programme at HEC Paris.

An extensive interview with Tom Kinzel will be published in the September issue of "Nachrichten aus der Chemie" and can be accessed in advance here.

With around 30,000 members, the German Chemical Society (GDCh) is one of the largest chemical societies in the world. It promotes scientific work, research and teaching as well as the exchange and dissemination of scientific knowledge. The GDCh supports education in schools and universities as well as continuous professional and career development.

The press release as a pdf document

Image material for download:

18/24
25 July 2024

The German Chemical Society (GDCh) is honouring Professor Dr Kurt Kremer, Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Mainz, with the Hermann Staudinger Prize. He will receive the award, endowed with 7500 euros, on 16 September at the Biennial Meeting of the Macromolecular Division of the GDCh "Makro 2024", which will take place in Dresden from 16 to 18 September under the motto "Polymers for a Sustainable Future". Two Dr Hermann Schnell Scholarships and the Reimund Stadler Prize of the GDCh Macromolecular Chemistry Division will also be awarded at the conference.

Kurt Kremer receives the Hermann Staudinger Prize for the establishment and application of multiscale modelling methods as a qualitative and quantitative tool for the understanding, development and processing of polymeric materials. Computer simulations of polymer properties can be used to understand the behaviour of polymers at a molecular level. Among other things, they help to develop new polymers, predict polymer properties and optimise manufacturing processes. Kremer developed two important models for computer simulations of polymer properties back in the 1980s: the "Kremer-Grest-Bead-Spring-Model" and the "Bond-Fluctuation-Model". Today, both are among the standard models in polymer simulation and have led to important insights into polymer melts, elastomers and biopolymers.

Kremer recognised early on that polymer properties can only be understood if atomistic and physical modelling are combined. He developed multiscale methods that incorporate different orders of magnitude. He succeeded in establishing these methods as a quantitative tool in polymer science and demonstrating that they can be used for materials science with direct experimental and industrial relevance.

In his current research, Kremer is working on innovative theoretical concepts in soft matter science, such as non-equilibrium aspects. His work has already led to a new nano-porous polymer material based on simulation predictions and experimental validation.

Kurt Kremer, born in 1956, studied physics at the University of Cologne. In 1983, he completed his doctorate at the University of Cologne under Professor Dr Kurt Binder and at the KFA Jülich research centre. After a post-doctoral period at Exxon Research and Engineering Co. in Annandale, New Jersey, USA, he completed his habilitation in theoretical physics at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz in 1988. He then returned to the solid state laboratory at KFA Jülich as a senior research associate. He spent several longer periods as a visiting professor/scientist in the USA at Exxon Research, the University of California, Santa Barbara, and the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis. After a short stay at Bayer AG, Leverkusen, he moved to the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research in Mainz. Kremer has already received several awards for his research. He is a member of the German National Academy of Sciences, Leopoldina, and is actively involved in the scientific community in various capacities.

Two young scientists will also receive a Dr Herrmann Schnell Fellowship at the conference. Dr Matthias Hartlieb, University of Potsdam, will receive a scholarship worth 3000 euros for his research into materials with specific biological activity, in particular antimicrobial polymers as an alternative to antibiotics. Another Dr Hermann Schnell Fellowship of 3000 euros will be awarded to Junior Professor Dr Hatice Mutlu, Institut de Science des Matériaux de Mulhouse, France, for her development of advanced functional, stimuli-responsive materials and solutions for a more sustainable plastics economy through innovative (catalytic) methods. The Dr Hermann Schnell scholarships are awarded by the GDCh foundation of the same name to support young scientists in the field of macromolecular chemistry, its physical-chemical principles and analytics.

Dr Matthias Hartlieb will also be honoured with the Reimund Stadler Prize of the GDCh Macromolecular Chemistry Division. The division awards the prize, which is endowed with 5000 euros, to a prospective university lecturer in the field of polymer chemistry and related fields in even-numbered years as part of the division's conference. The prizewinner is selected from among the participants of the university workshop for young academics. Hartlieb impressed the selection committee with his presentation entitled "Polymeric Biomaterials: From Photopolymerisation to Antimicrobial Polymers".

Further information on the conference can be found at https://makro2024.de

With around 30,000 members, the German Chemical Society (GDCh) is one of the largest chemical societies in the world. It has 27 sections, including the Macromolecular Chemistry Section with over 1,350 members. The division brings together scientists from universities, research institutes and industry from all areas of polymer chemistry and physics. The Macromolecular Chemistry Division has the right to nominate candidates for the GDCh's Hermann Staudinger Prize, named after the 1953 Nobel Prize winner in Chemistry and endowed with 7500 euros.

The press release as a pdf document

Image material for download:

17/24
23 July 2024

The 133rd Assembly of the German Society of Natural Scientists and Physicians (GDNÄ) will take place in Potsdam from 12 to 15 September 2024 under the motto "Science for our lives of tomorrow". The Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker (GDCh) traditionally contributes to the event with a scientific session and the presentation of the Liebig Memorial Medal. This year's recipient is Professor Dr Katharina Landfester from the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Mainz.

With the Liebig Memorial Medal, which is endowed with 7500 euros, the GDCh honours outstanding achievements in the entire field of chemistry. Landfester received the award for her remarkable work in the field of organic polymers, in particular for the development and application of nanocapsules for the targeted administration of drugs and as building blocks for the construction of artificial cells. The selection committee also recognised her great commitment to the chemical community and to the interests of the GDCh.

Polymerisation in emulsions plays an important role in modern polymer research. Polymerisation is a chemical process in which small molecules, so-called monomers, are combined to form larger molecules, the polymers. Landfester researched so-called miniemulsion polymerisation, which enables the production of complex polymer nanoparticles. In this way, the chemist made a significant contribution to establishing polymerisation in emulsions from a niche approach to an important area of polymer synthesis. Landfester developed functional and active nanocapsules as transport vehicles for the targeted administration of drugs and as modules for the construction of artificial cells. This enabled her to transfer cell concepts to the field of synthesis in order to open up intelligent synthesis routes for chemistry. With her research into miniemulsion polymerisation, she has overcome the previous limits of emulsion polymerisation and opened up a new field of reaction types and monomers for polymer chemistry.

Katharina Landfester, born in 1969, studied chemistry at the Technical University of Darmstadt. For her diploma thesis, she attended the Ecole d'Application des Hautes Polymères in Strasbourg. In 1995, she completed her doctorate in physical chemistry at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz after working with Professor Dr H. W. Spiess at the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, also in Mainz. This was followed by research stays at the MPI for Polymer Research and at Lehigh University, Bethlehem, USA, before she moved to the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces in Golm as a project leader in 1998. In 2002, she completed her habilitation in physical chemistry at the University of Potsdam. In 2003, she took on a C4 professorship for macromolecular chemistry at the University of Ulm, before moving to the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research as Director in 2008. She has also been Managing Director there since 2014. She has also been co-founder of the start-up Lignilabs since 2022. In addition to her scientific work, Landfester holds several institutional offices and is active on numerous committees. She has received several awards and has published more than 600 research papers over the past ten years. Landfester has been an active member of the GDCh since 1994. From 2007 to 2015 she was a board member of the GDCh Macromolecular Chemistry Division, and from 2016 to 2023 she was a member of the GDCh Board.

The award ceremony will take place on 14 September as part of the Chemistry Session, which will be opened by GDCh President Prof. Dr Stefanie Dehnen. Following the award ceremony, the prizewinner will give a lecture on "Nanocapsules as drug carriers and artificial organelles".

With around 30,000 members, the German Chemical Society is one of the largest chemical science societies in the world. It awards numerous internationally recognised prizes, including the Liebig Medal, which was first awarded in 1903. Among those honoured are numerous later Nobel Prize winners: Adolf von Baeyer, Paul Ehrlich, Fritz Haber, Carl Bosch, Max Planck, Friedrich Bergius, Hans Fischer, Feodor Lynen, Karl Ziegler and Gerhard Ertl.

The press release as a pdf document

Image material for download:

16/24
16 July 2024

The German Chemical Society (GDCh) is honouring Dr Sebastian Gergel, EnginZyme AB, Solna, Sweden, with the GDCh Prize for Biocatalysis. The award ceremony will take place on 12 September at the annual meeting of the GDCh Sustainable Chemistry Division in Mülheim an der Ruhr.

Sebastian Gergel receives the GDCh Prize for Biocatalysis for his dissertation, which he wrote at the Universities of Stuttgart and Bielefeld. His thesis focussed on protein engineering and the design of new enzymes.

Protein engineering deals with the design, optimisation and production of proteins, including enzymes. Possible areas of application range from science to industry and agriculture. For example, protein engineering can play an important role in the development of new drugs and therapies, in the production of biofuels or in the development of new biotechnological processes.

In his work, Gergel combined a mechanistic understanding of organic reactions with the methods of protein engineering, as well as their application in organic synthesis. He focussed on directed evolution and mechanistic studies of carbonyl-selective alkene oxygenases and their application in asymmetric synthesis. Gergel succeeded in gaining deep insights into the reaction mechanism of the conversion of the biocatalytic Wacker oxidation. After successfully designing such enzymes, he succeeded in using them in regioselective or regio- and enantioselective Wacker oxidation.

The selection committee was not only impressed by the excellent content of the dissertation, which was awarded "summa cum laude", but also by its linguistic and visual presentation. The work also laid the foundation for further projects and resulted in a large number of high-ranking publications in top scientific journals.

Sebastian Gergel studied chemistry at the University of Stuttgart. He completed his doctoral thesis at the Universities of Stuttgart and Bielefeld. After completing his doctorate in 2021, he took up a position at EnginZyme AB, Solna, Sweden.

Further information on the conference at: www.gdch.de/nachhaltig2024

With around 30,000 members, the German Chemical Society (GDCh) is one of the largest chemical societies in the world. It has 27 specialised groups, including the Sustainable Chemistry Division, which was founded in 2009 and has over 800 members.

The press release as a pdf document

Image material for download:

15/24
11 July 2024

The 23rd ORCHEM will take place at the University of Regensburg from 9 to 11 September. The conference is organised by the Liebig Association for Organic Chemistry of the German Chemical Society (GDCh) and is one of the most attractive conferences in the field of organic chemistry. The programme includes lectures on synthesis, catalysis, methodology and reactivity. During the conference, the GDCh awards the prestigious Emil Fischer Medal for outstanding achievements in the field of organic chemistry. The Liebig Association also honours original and pioneering work by young scientists.

On 9 September, the GDCh will award Professor Dr Frank Glorius, University of Münster, with the Emil Fischer Medal. He will receive the award, endowed with 7500 euros, for his pioneering contributions to organic synthesis methodology and the design of functional molecules. His work is exceptional both in terms of its diversity and quality. The selection committee also emphasised the international reach and impact of Glorius' work and praised his special commitment to the chemical community.

Frank Glorius is recognised as a leading expert in the field of organic chemistry. His work has made important contributions to organic synthesis and catalysis as well as to the design of functional molecules. Glorius and his group are involved in the evaluation and discovery of chemical reactions as well as the prediction of reactivity and selectivity based on machine learning. Frank Glorius' team is one of the leading groups in all of these research areas and is recognised worldwide for its innovative and influential work.

Frank Glorius, born in 1972 in Walsrode, studied chemistry at the Leibniz University of Hanover. He obtained his doctorate in Basel in 2000 after research work at the Max Planck Institute for Coal Research in Mülheim/Ruhr and at the University of Basel. After holding positions at Harvard University, USA, the MPI for Coal Research and the Philipps University of Marburg, he accepted an appointment at the University of Münster in 2007. He is still Professor of Organic Chemistry there today. Glorius has already received numerous awards for his work and his research is currently being funded by the third ERC (European Research Council) grant. In addition to his scientific work, he is also actively involved in the chemical community, for example on the Board of Trustees of the Chemical Industry Fund and on the DFG's Review Board for Chemistry. Glorius has been an active member of the GDCh for twenty-eight years. During this time, he has led the Münster chapter and organised ORCHEM 2022 as Chair.

The Liebig Association for Organic Chemistry also uses the conference to honour outstanding scientific achievements. On 10 September, the ORCHEM Prize, which comes with prize money of 2,500 euros, will be awarded to two young scientists. Dr Golo Storch, Technical University of Munich, will receive the award for his work in the field of organic photochemistry, in particular the investigation of flavin systems in molecular photocatalysis. Dr Malte Gersch, Technical University of Dortmund, receives the award for his work on the investigation of proteolytic enzymes of the ubiquitin system. Both prize winners will give a brief insight into their research following the award ceremony.

The prizes:

The Emil Fischer Medal for outstanding achievement in the field of organic chemistry was donated by Carl Duisberg in 1912 to mark Emil Fischer's 60th birthday and was initially funded by the Carl Duisberg Foundation and later by a special fund of the GDCh. Emil Fischer was one of the most important chemists of his time and was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1902 for his work on sugar and purine.

The ORCHEM Prize is regularly awarded at ORCHEM to young scientists who have distinguished themselves through new, original and pioneering scientific work in the field.

Further information on the conference at: orchem2024.de

With around 30,000 members, the German Chemical Society (GDCh) is one of the largest chemical societies in the world. It has 27 specialist groups, including the Liebig Association for Organic Chemistry with over 1,300 members. The main aims of the Liebig Association for Organic Chemistry include stimulating research directions and research projects in the field of organic chemistry, providing information about important activities in this field and publicising important and current aspects of organic chemistry through intensive public relations work.

The press release as a pdf document

Image material for download:

14/24
9 July 2024

The German Chemical Society (GDCh) honours Professor Dr Dr h.c. mult. Lorenz Cederbaum, University of Heidelberg, with the Erich Hückel Prize. The chemist and physicist receives the award, which is endowed with 7500 euros, for his outstanding achievements in theoretical chemistry, in particular for his pioneering contributions to the quantum dynamics of molecular systems. The award will be presented on 5 September 2024 at the 60th Symposium on Theoretical Chemistry (STC) conference.

In his research, Lorenz Cederbaum deals with many-body theory, non-adiabatic phenomena, atoms and molecules in strong fields, boson systems and energy transfer between molecules, among other things. At the end of the 1990s, he predicted intermolecular Coulomb decay (ICD), which has since been proven by numerous experiments and continues to be researched in many working groups.

The award committee appointed by the GDCh board recognised Cederbaum's scientific work as follows: "His pioneering work on ultrafast non-adiabatic processes at conical intersections and their simulation, including light-induced conical intersections, should be emphasised. light-induced conical intersections (LICI), the development of the Multi-Configuration Time-Dependent Hartree (MCTDH) method for solving the time-dependent Schrödinger equation, the theoretical prediction of intermolecular Coulombic decay (Intermolecular Coulombic Decay, ICD), his studies on electron dynamics and ultrafast intramolecular charge migration in molecules, the development of methods for the treatment of short-lived anions, as well as his proof of quantum chaos in molecules."

Lorenz Cederbaum, born in Brauschweig in 1946, studied physics at the University of Munich and obtained his doctorate in chemistry at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) in 1972. After his habilitation in physics in 1976, also at TUM, he worked as a professor of physics at the University of Freiburg. In 1979, Cederbaum accepted an appointment at the University of Heidelberg, where he worked as a professor and director at the Institute of Physical Chemistry in the Department of Theoretical Chemistry. He has been Senior Professor of Theoretical Chemistry in Heidelberg since 2017. During his academic career, he has been a visiting professor at numerous universities abroad, including Harvard and Berkeley, USA. Cederbaum has received honorary doctorates from the University of Sofia, Bulgaria, the Technion, Israel Institute of Technology, and the University of Debrecen, Hungary. He is a member of the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina and the International Academy of Quantum Molecular Science (IAQMS). His publication list includes more than 820 publications.

The GDCh honours outstanding work in the field of theoretical chemistry with the Erich Hückel Prize. The award is named after the German chemist and physicist Erich Hückel (1896 - 1980), who is regarded as a pioneer of quantum chemistry. Hückel's molecular orbital theory (HMO theory), the Hückel rules that define the aromatic state and the Debye-Hückel theory from electrochemistry are named after him.

With around 30,000 members, the German Chemical Society (GDCh) is one of the largest chemical societies in the world. In addition to 27 specialist groups, there are seven working groups under its umbrella, including the AG Theoretische Chemie, which is jointly organised by the German Bunsen Society for Physical Chemistry and the German Physical Society. The AG Theoretische Chemie organises annual symposia on theoretical chemistry.

The press release as a pdf document

Image material for download:

13/24
2 July 2024

In 2023, a total of 8248 new students started a chemistry degree programme: 1.4% more than in the previous year (2022: 8137). This is according to the annual statistics for chemistry degree programmes published by the German Chemical Society (GDCh). The number of students who completed a chemistry degree programme with a Master's degree or the First State Examination was 3483 (2022: 3761). After a slump in the previous year (2022: 1883), the number of doctorates rose again last year to 2040. Job-seeking graduates with a doctorate were able to enter professional life just as successfully as in the previous year.

The following results emerged for the individual degree programmes:

In the field of Chemistry/Economic Chemistry, the universities reported 5024 first-year students (2022: 5061). 1891 students (2022: 2242) successfully completed their Bachelor's degree, 2111 received their Master's degree (2022: 2201). The median duration of study was 7.0 semesters until the Bachelor's degree (2022: 7.0) and 5.3 semesters until the Master's degree (2022: 5.3). In 2023, 1771 people completed a doctorate in Chemistry/Economic Chemistry (2022: 1648). The median duration of a doctorate was 8.4 semesters (2022: 8.1).

In Biochemistry and Life Sciences, 1680 people began their studies (2022: 1619). The number of Bachelor's degrees totalled 905 (2022: 902), while the number of Master's degrees fell to 807 (2022: 867). The number of doctorates rose to 210 (2022: 178). The median duration of study was 6.9 semesters for Bachelor's degrees (2022: 6.7), 5.4 semesters for Master's degrees (2022: 5.2) and 9.3 semesters for doctorates (2022: 9.3).

In food chemistry, the number of first-year students fell from 325 in the previous year to 307. 150 students passed the main examination A (1st state examination) or the diploma examination (2022: 167) and 125 passed the main examination B (2nd state examination) (2022: 149). In addition, the universities reported 132 Bachelor's and 133 Master's degrees (2022: 146 and 156 respectively). The number of doctorates was 59 (2022: 57). The median duration of study up to the main examination A was 10.9 semesters. Bachelor's degrees also took a median of 6.7 semesters and Master's degrees 4.5 semesters. Due to insufficient data, it was not possible to determine the median duration of study for a doctorate.

At Universities of Applied Sciences (HAW), 1237 people began studying chemistry (2022: 1132). The number of bachelor's degrees fell to 583 (2022: 774) and the number of master's degrees to 415 (2022: 526). The median duration of study was 8.0 semesters for Bachelor's degrees and 4.2 semesters for Master's degrees.

97% of all bachelor's graduates at universities and 75 % at universities of applied sciences went on to study for a master's degree. Around 83 % of Master's graduates at universities began a doctorate. This figure is still lower than the long-term average (90%) and now appears to have levelled off at a lower level.

Just under 50 % of graduates with a doctorate in chemistry are known to have taken their first step into professional life. According to data from the universities, around 42.4 % took up a position in the chemical and pharmaceutical industry (2022: 44 %), 17.4 % (2022: 17 %) took up a temporary position in Germany (incl. postdoc). 14.8 % worked in the rest of the economy after graduation (2022: 14 %) and 9.8 % took up a position abroad after graduation (2022: 9 %). Around 4.9 % remained at a university or research institute (2022: 5 %) Around 4 % of graduates held a position in the public sector (2022: 4 %). At the time of the survey, 6.2 % were considered job seekers (2022: 5 %).

As in every year, the number of "genuine" jobseekers is likely to be slightly lower. Due to the survey cut-off date of 31 December, graduates who start their new job in January or February are still recorded as jobseekers.

The brochure "Statistics on Chemistry Degree Programmes 2023" is available as a flip catalogue at www.gdch.de/statistik.

With around 30,000 members, the German Chemical Society (GDCh) is one of the largest chemical societies in the world. Among other things, it deals with current developments at universities and on the labour market. The GDCh has been collecting extensive statistical data on chemistry degree programmes every year since 1952. The 2023 statistics are based on data from chemistry and business chemistry, biochemistry and life sciences, food chemistry and chemistry degree programmes at universities of applied sciences (HAW), formerly universities of applied sciences. The survey asked about the number of first-year students and students, the number of final examinations passed and the respective final grades and duration of study. In addition, some universities provided information on the career entry of their graduates after completing their degree or doctorate. The cut-off date for the survey is 31 December.

The press release as a pdf document

Image material for download:

12/24
27 June 2024

Professor Dr Yimon Aye, École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Switzerland, has been awarded the Klaus Grohe Prize 2024. The 50,000 euro award is one of the most highly endowed prizes for medicinal chemistry in Europe. It is awarded by the Klaus Grohe Foundation, which is part of the German Chemical Society (GDCh). Aye receives the prize for her pioneering research into cell communication and enzyme manipulation, with which she has advanced both basic research and practical applications in medicine. The award will be presented on 1 September by GDCh President Professor Dr Stefanie Dehnen at the International Symposium on Medicinal Chemistry (EFMC-ISMC 2024) in Rome, Italy.

Yimon Aye's research has significantly expanded our understanding of cellular processes, opening up new avenues for the development of more effective and targeted drugs. For example, she developed T-REX (Targetable Reactive Electrophiles and Oxidants), an innovative method for the targeted modification of proteins. T-REX can be used to observe specific chemical changes in proteins and analyse their effects on living cells. The method thus helps to understand how certain chemical substances, so-called electrophiles, act in the cell and can influence diseases.

Aye's research findings not only help to understand the causes of diseases and signalling pathways, but also to develop new and better drugs. For example, she discovered that the protein Akt3 can be inhibited by electrophiles. Inhibiting Akt3 was previously difficult, but important for the development of drugs, especially in cancer research. Aye has developed a new active substance that specifically inhibits Akt3 and has already been successfully tested in mouse models.

Aye also investigated the multiple sclerosis drug Tecfidera in more detail. She found that Tecfidera marks the protein Keap1, which can lead to cell death in some immune cells, while in other cells it leads to survival-promoting signals. These findings could help to improve the effectiveness of the drug and reduce side effects in the future.

Yimon Aye, born 1980 in Yangon, Myanmar, studied Chemistry at the University of Oxford, UK. After completing her PhD at Harvard University, Cambridge, USA, she went to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, USA, for a postdoctoral stay in 2009. From 2012, Aye taught and researched at Cornell University, Ithaca, USA, until she moved to the École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Switzerland, in 2018. There she heads the Laboratory of Electrophiles And Genome Operation (LEAGO) as an associate professor. Aye has already received numerous awards for her research, including an ERC Consolidator Grant (2022). She is a member of a large number of advisory boards and committees and takes on editorial tasks in renowned scientific journals. Among other things, Aye has been co-editor of ACS Chemical Biology since January 2022.

The Klaus Grohe Prize is named after the chemist Professor Dr Klaus Grohe (*1934), who developed important innovative drugs with great success during his career. In 2001, the couple Klaus and Eva Grohe established the Klaus Grohe Foundation at the GDCh, which has been awarding the Klaus Grohe Prize for Medicinal Chemistry to young scientists since 2004. Since a reorganisation in 2020, the prize has been endowed with 50,000 euros and is now awarded to internationally renowned researchers in the field of drug development whose work makes an important contribution towards application.

The German Chemical Society (GDCh) is one of the largest chemical science societies in the world with around 30,000 members. The GDCh manages numerous dependent foundations on a fiduciary basis. The purpose of these foundations is to award prizes, sponsorship awards and scholarships. Foundation advisory boards decide on the awarding of prizes, sponsorship awards and scholarships.

The press release as a pdf document

Image material for download:

11/24
28 May 2024

The German Chemical Society (GDCh) has awarded Professor Dr David A. Leigh, University of Manchester, UK, the August Wilhelm von Hofmann Medal for his outstanding services to chemistry. The GDCh is thus honouring his pioneering achievements in the field of nanoscience as well as his tireless efforts as an ambassador for chemistry. The award ceremony will take place on 11 July as part of the 9th EuChemS Chemistry Congress in Dublin, Ireland.

David A. Leigh is a world leader in the study of artificial molecular machines and molecular topology and is recognised as a gifted "architect" of the nanoworld. His work has had a major impact on supramolecular chemistry over the last 20 years. Leigh has introduced numerous innovative and influential concepts for the synthesis of interlocked molecular architectures. He has also pioneered the control of molecular motion and synthesised some of the most complex artificial molecular structures known to date.

Among the most important achievements of Leigh's research group are the development of molecular catenane motors and the construction of artificial machines that can transport droplets along inclined surfaces. They also developed the "Maxwell's Demon" information ratchet - a molecular machine that uses thermal energy to move molecules in a specific direction - and introduced artificial molecules that can "walk". In recent years, Leigh has researched the weaving of highly complex molecular knots and 2D materials and has pioneered the synthesis of amazingly simple chemically driven rotors.

In addition to his outstanding research, he has worked tirelessly as an ambassador for chemistry. In hundreds of public lectures and media contributions, he inspires and enthuses a broad audience for the subject. In his talks, Leigh combines magic tricks with scientific content and impresses both specialist and non-specialist audiences. In his enthusiasm for his subject, Leigh does not shy away from unusual communication channels: in 2018, for example, his working group commissioned a popular music video about nanorobotics, which has had around 1.2 million views to date. Leigh is actively committed to supporting and promoting girls and financially disadvantaged pupils.

David A. Leigh, born in 1963 in Birmingham, UK, completed his degree in chemistry at the University of Sheffield, UK, in 1987 (with future Nobel Prize winner Fraser Stoddart). After research stays at the National Research Council of Canada, Ottawa, CAN, and the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology, UK, he was appointed to the Chair of Synthetic Chemistry at the University of Warwick, UK, in 1998. In 2001, Leigh was appointed Professor of Organic Chemistry at the University of Edinburgh, UK. Since 2012, he has been Professor of Organic Chemistry at the University of Manchester, UK, and has also been a Royal Society Research Professor since 2016. He has received numerous awards for his research, including three ERC Advanced Grants (2008, 2013, 2018). He is an elected or honorary member of numerous scientific academies and societies.

The GDCh awards the August Wilhelm Hofmann Memorial Coin - a gold coin - to personalities from Germany or abroad who have made great contributions to chemistry. The prize has a long tradition and was established by the predecessor society, the German Chemical Society, in 1902.

The European Chemical Society (EuChemS) is the successor organisation to the FECS (Federation of European Chemical Societies), which was founded in 1970 with the significant involvement of the GDCh. EuChemS has over 40 chemical societies in over 30 countries as members, including the GDCh as the largest continental European chemical society with around 30,000 members - around 20 per cent of the chemists represented by EuCheMS. The scientific activities of EuChemS are primarily carried out by the relevant divisions and working parties. The EuChemS Chemistry Congress, which takes place every two years, takes centre stage.

The press release as a pdf document

Image material for download:

Joint Press Information of the Società Chimica Italiana, the German Chemical Society, Politecnico Milano and Max-Planck-Institut für Kohlenforschung

10/24
8 May 2024

It was December 10th in the year 1963 when two outstanding chemists from Italy and Germany shared the stage of the Stockholm Concert Hall. Giulio Natta and Karl Ziegler were awarded the Nobel Prize in chemistry for their work on polymers that "paved the way for new and highly useful industrial processes." In other words: With their pioneering work in the field of catalysis, the two scientists had initiated nothing less than the age of plastics. While this highest recognition of the scientific community was bestowed upon them in Sweden and the effects of their discoveries played a role worldwide, it was their laboratories in Milan and Mülheim where Natta and Ziegler conducted the decisive experiments. These are the "Giulio Natta'' Department of Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering at the Politecnico in Milan, Italy, and the Max Planck Institute for Coal Research in Mülheim an der Ruhr, Germany.

Now, more than 60 years after their joint Nobel Prize ceremony of Natta and Ziegler, the European Chemical Society (EuChems) has recognised both locations as a "Historical Landmark". With this award, the EuChems wants to point out that both Milan and Mülheim are places that are important to the European Chemical community and both inspire a sense of European belonging. Natta's and Ziegler's groups were tightly bonded by their cooperative and also competitive research and development activities. Until today, "Ziegler-Natta" is a well-known term among students in the field of chemistry. And their impact on our everyday life is still immense, as the EuChems underlines.

Yes, synthetic polymers had already existed since the end of the 19th century, but they were not yet of high interest for the chemical industry. Their material properties were partly unsatisfactory, their production often very expensive and only possible under high pressures. Ziegler's research team discovered in 1953 that organometallic compounds could catalyse the production of polyethylene without the need for high pressure and temperature, leading to high-density polyethylene. This type of polyethylene proved superior to the previously manufactured products due to its better properties and more economical production. Natta extended the research conducted by Ziegler to stereospecific polymerisation, thus discovering new classes of polymers with a sterically ordered structure. These studies led to the production of a thermoplastic material, isotactic polypropylene, which was soon marketed successfully as a plastic material for fibres and films.

The discovery of Ziegler-Natta catalysts and the resulting new polymers was disruptive to chemical research and industry and to everyday life on a global scale, with special consequences for the Italian early stage researchers nationwide.

The enduring impact of Professors Ziegler and Natta's accomplishments extends far beyond Germany and Italy, and continue to yield significant contributions to polymerisation catalysis, polymer science, and the polymer industry, with particular emphasis nowadays towards establishing a fully sustainable polymer industry.

"We are delighted that EuChems has included the work sites of Giulio Natta and Karl Ziegler in its important Historical Landmarks programme," explains Prof. Dr. Sabine Becker, Vice President of the GDCh. "In Milan and Mülheim, Natta and Ziegler made outstanding and groundbreaking chemical achievements in the field of polymer science, from which the entire society still benefits enormously today."

"Stereoregular polymers already existed in nature at the time of the discoveries of Professors Ziegler and Natta, for example cellulose and natural rubber. As it was stated on the occasion of the awarding of the Nobel prize, Prof. Natta's research broke the monopoly of nature for the synthesis of stereoregular polymers with a high degree of order. Isotactic polypropylene is the best known example and is the most widely used polymer today. The scientific and technological revolution promoted by the Ziegler-Natta catalysis led to immense advancements" states Marinella Levi, Director of the Chemistry, Materials and Chemical engineering "G. Natta" Department. The legacy of Professors Ziegler and Natta and their Schools is fundamental to shape our future, which must be inspired by the sustainability of polymeric materials.

"We are very proud of Karl Ziegler's legacy, without whom our institute in Mülheim would never have grown to the size we know it as today", says Frank Neese, Managing Director at the Max Planck Institute for Coal Research. Ziegler with his groundbreaking work in the field of organic chemistry, he was one of the founders of organometallic chemistry and, in particular, organometallic catalysis. His patent for the production of high molecular weight polyethylene at normal pressure and room temperature with the aid of "organometallic catalysts" made from aluminium alkyl and transition metal compounds started a chain of innovation, which led to the rapid development of the large-scale production of polyolefins.

.

The age of plastics did not only bring countless useful applications for synthetic polymers. Nowadays humankind has to face the still uncontrolled disposal of plastic waste. The two historical landmarks could be a perfect opportunity to show to the general public environmental sustainability of polymers as well as to underline modern contributions of Chemistry to Circular Economy.

The press release as a pdf document

09/24
22 April 2024

Adjusting the framework conditions to improve the career paths of young scientists within and outside academic institutions is very welcome from the perspective of the natural and life sciences. In addition to the necessary adjustments to the funding and personnel structures of academic institutions, this also includes the intensively discussed amendment to the German Academic Fixed-Term Contracts Act (WissZeitVG). Based on the BMBF's draft bill of 6 June 2023, the Federal Cabinet recently adopted a draft bill that is now being discussed in parliament. The draft envisages a maximum 6-year doctoral phase followed by a maximum 4-year postdoc phase. In addition, two further years of fixed-term employment with binding target agreements for the transition to a permanent position are to be made possible.

The undersigned scientific and life science societies welcome in principle the endeavour to enable better planning and reliability of scientific careers, but point out the following critical points:

1. in the natural and life sciences as well as in biomedicine, the planned timeframe of the two qualification phases (max. 6 years up to doctorate, [4+2] years as a postdoc) would in principle be only just sufficient in some - but not all - subject areas to achieve the project successes required for a professorship in the form of extensive data sets, independent publications, teaching experience and independently acquired research funding or to develop and consolidate an expert profile for career goals in addition to the professorship. As the planned amendment to the WissZeitVG will not create any additional permanent positions, the postdoc qualification phase is expected to be limited to four years in most cases. In experimental disciplines in particular, however, this period is often insufficient and will lead to an exodus of scientists abroad and a dramatic loss in the quality of research in the natural and life sciences and in biomedicine in Germany.

2 The signatory professional societies consider a further opening of the collective bargaining clause, i.e. leaving important elements of the fixed-term regulations to be regulated by collective bargaining law, to be neither appropriate nor necessary. Fixed-term regulations in regional collective agreements would not do justice to the different academic institutions or the career paths of young academics and would lead to a fragmentation of the legal and collective bargaining framework. Differentiating the framework conditions for academic career options by federal state would be counterproductive and would lead to an imbalance in research in the federal states. If the entire time limit for qualification was left to the discretion of the collective bargaining partners, the consequences for Germany as a centre of science and for the career paths of young scientists in the natural sciences and biomedicine would be serious.

3. it is essential for scientific work in the natural and life sciences to be able to continue to offer fixed-term contracts in the context of externally funded projects - without time limits or a limit on the number of externally funded contracts.

4. the planned minimum contract term of 3 years for the first contract of doctoral students is generally very welcome. We would like to point out that the nationwide implementation of such a minimum contract period poses additional challenges for academic institutions. For example, financial resources would have to be made available from the budgets of the institutions to ensure that available third-party funds with remaining terms of less than 3 years can be used appropriately.

5. the envisaged minimum contract duration of one year for study-related employment is not feasible in many cases due to the inherent organisation of university internships and courses in the natural sciences and biomedicine, so that there is a risk that university teaching will be impaired. We therefore recommend allowing justified exceptions to the minimum contract period.

In order to achieve the improved predictability of academic career paths that the amendment to the WissZeitVG aims to achieve, the undersigned professional associations in the natural and life sciences believe that additional permanent positions must be created. This can only be achieved through a significant increase in permanent basic funding for universities and non-university institutions. The undersigned learned societies therefore suggest that a discussion on this matter be held with representatives of the federal and state governments as soon as possible.

Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (GBM)

Anatomical Society (AG)

German Society for Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology (DGPT)

German Society for Extracellular Vesicles (GSEV)

German Society for Immunology (DGfI)

German Society for Medical Psychology (DGMP)

German Society for Cell Biology (DGZ)

German Pharmaceutical Society (DPhG)

German Physiological Society (DPG)

German Chemical Society (GDCh)

Society for Developmental Biology (GfE)

Society for Genetics (GfG)

Society for Microscopy and Image Analysis (GerBI-GMB)

Society for Virology (GfV)

Neuroscience Society (NWG)

Signal Transduction Society (STS)

Association for General and Applied Microbiology (VAAM)

The signatory societies represent more than 55,000 members in the natural and life sciences and biomedicine.

Media contact:

Prof. Dr Volker Haucke
President of the Gesellschaft für
Biochemie und Molekularbiologie e.V.
https://gbm-online.de/die-gbm.html
haucke@fmp-berlin.de
Tel. +49 (0) 30 947 93 100

Dr Karin J. Schmitz
Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker e.V.
Public Relations
Phone +49 69 7917-493
Email: pr@gdch.de
www.gdch.de/presse

The press release as a pdf document

08/24
18 April 2024

The German Chemical Society (GDCh) appoints Professor Dr Dr h.c. Heribert Offermanns an honorary member. The GDCh is thus honouring his services to the promotion of chemistry in general and his commitment to the goals of the GDCh in particular. The award was already presented in 2023, and the ceremony will now take place on 8 May as part of the annual meeting of the GDCh Senior Chemistry Experts Group (SEC) in Magdeburg.

With this award, the GDCh is honouring Heribert Offermann's many years of commitment and his valuable contributions to the presentation of chemistry to the public. Offermanns was a member of the GDCh Board of Directors for 14 years, eight of them as an elected member and six years as a co-opted member as Treasurer. Offermanns played a decisive role in the founding and strengthening of the Senior Chemistry Experts Group. He also had a decisive influence on the GDCh Specialist Group on Chemistry Education. For many years, he was responsible for continuing education and chemistry didactics at the GDCh and initiated the Heinrich Roessler Prize for special services to chemistry education, among other things.

Offermanns wrote numerous articles for the GDCh members' magazine "Nachrichten aus der Chemie" and generally understandable articles for the magazine "Chemie in unserer Zeit", thus making a significant contribution to explaining chemistry to the interested public in an understandable way.

Offermanns was always open to new ideas. In 2006, for example, he spontaneously agreed to join the newly founded Senior Experts in Chemistry (SEC) in various working groups. His idea of giving generally understandable presentations at the SEC annual meetings has since become a trademark. He organised and planned the first two SEC annual meetings almost single-handedly, making a decisive contribution to the successful development of the specialist group.

Heribert Offermanns was born near Aachen in 1937. He completed his degree in chemistry at RWTH Aachen University with a doctorate. In 1968, he joined Degussa AG, where he initially worked in chemical and pharmaceutical research and as a plant manager. From 1976 to 2000, Offermanns was a member of the Management Board with responsibility for Research & Development, Operations and Regions. During this time, he was instrumental in the establishment and expansion of the Degussa Research Centre in Hanau-Wolfgang. Offermanns is the author of numerous scientific papers and generally understandable articles and the holder of many patents registered worldwide. In addition to his involvement in the GDCh, he was a member of the Senate of the German Research Foundation (DFG) and a member and chairman of the Fund of the Chemical Industry (FCI). He was also a member of the University Council of the Goethe University Frankfurt and the Boards of Trustees of the University of Regensburg and the Paul Ehrlich Foundation. Offermanns was also Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research in Stuttgart and held a lectureship at Goethe University Frankfurt. He can look back on numerous awards and honours, including an honorary doctorate in engineering at RWTH Aachen University, the Carl Duisburg Plaque of the GDCh (1988), the Karl Winnacker Prize of the Marburg University Association (2001) and the Cross of Merit 1st Class of the Federal Republic of Germany (2011).

The awarding of the honorary membership will take place during a ceremony at the annual meeting of the GDCh Senior Chemistry Experts Group (SEC). The conference - this year under the motto "Impulses for Sustainable Development" - will take place from 6 to 8 May in Magdeburg. The programme includes exciting lectures from all areas of chemistry, all of which are characterised by their relevance to everyday life and their comprehensibility. In addition to the scientific programme, a varied accompanying programme invites you to network and explore Magdeburg.

The German Chemical Society (GDCh) is one of the largest chemical societies in the world with around 30,000 members. It has 27 specialist groups, including the Senior Experts in Chemistry (SEC) with over 400 members. Most senior experts have a university education and have held positions of responsibility in industrial companies, educational institutions (e.g. universities and schools), research institutes or public authorities during their careers. Today, they volunteer in three SEC working groups: "Network", "Public Relations" and "School-Education-Career".

The press release as a pdf document

Image material for download:

Joint press release by the German Mathematical Society (DMV), the German Physical Society (DPG), the Society of German Chemists (GDCh), the Association of Biology, Biosciences and Biomedicine in Germany (VBIO) and the Stifterverband für die Deutsche Wissenschaft e.V.

07/24
19 March 2024

This year's Ars legendi Faculty Award for excellent university teaching in mathematics and the natural sciences goes to Nina Keul from Kiel University (biology), Hans-Christian Schmitt from Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg (chemistry), Anselm Knebusch from Stuttgart University of Applied Sciences (mathematics) and Jan-Philipp Burde from the University of Tübingen (physics).

The Ars legendi Faculty Prize for Mathematics and Natural Sciences honours academics who have distinguished themselves through outstanding, innovative and exemplary achievements in teaching, advising and mentoring. It is organised by the Stifterverband, the Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker, the Deutsche Mathematiker-Vereinigung, the Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft and the Verband Biologie, Biowissenschaften und Biomedizin in Deutschland. The award has been presented in the categories of biology, chemistry, mathematics and physics since 2014 and is endowed with 5000 euros each.

The prizewinners were selected by a nine-member jury made up of representatives from the scientific disciplines, university didactics and students. They awarded the Ars legendi Faculty Prize 2024 to the following university lecturers:

In the Biology
category, Dr Nina Keul from Kiel University was honoured. She has been teaching across disciplines in the "Marine Geoscience" and "Biological Oceanography" degree programmes since 2017. She has developed diverse and innovative teaching formats to sharpen research-oriented education. With her often playful programmes, Nina Keul strengthens students' communication skills and personal responsibility in addition to their knowledge acquisition. The e-learning tool "digiCruise", in which students embark on a digital expedition on a research vessel, and the high level of student mobility as part of the European university alliance SEA-EU are best-practice examples from her teaching.

In the Chemistry
category, the prize goes to Dr Hans-Christian Schmitt from Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg. He receives the award for his pioneering commitment in the context of his courses in physical chemistry. He impressed the jury in particular with the innovative redesign of practical experiments, sensible digitalisation strategies and his concepts for encouraging active, research-based learning. In addition, Hans-Christian Schmitt succeeds in achieving long-term learning success and arousing enthusiasm for the content of the experiment in both major and minor subjects as well as in the training of prospective teachers through target group-orientated accompanying materials, variable discussion formats and innovative learning objective checks.

In the Mathematics
category, the award goes to Professor Dr Anselm Knebusch from the Stuttgart University of Applied Sciences. He uses the innovative concept of "computer-based learning" (CBL) in the lecture theatre to address the heterogeneity of first-year students on mathematics courses in engineering degree programmes. The new "blended learning" approach is used to activate students. The internal differentiation of teaching is achieved through customised learning videos and interactive exercises, which are worked on individually in the lecture hall. The teacher is present to answer questions and thus becomes a learning coach. The approach is customised to the needs of a heterogeneous learning group, in which self-learning skills are inherent but still need to be developed. With this award, the jury would also like to emphasise the importance of minor subject training.

In the Physics
category, this year's award goes to Junior Professor Dr Jan-Philipp Burde from the University of Tübingen. The jury found it particularly noteworthy that the prizewinner does not see the physics teaching degree programme as a shortened specialist course. For him, an interweaving of subject-specific science and subject-specific didactics is essential, as opposed to the isolated teaching and acquisition of these two domains of knowledge. This is why Jan-Philipp Burde's courses, for which he was awarded this year's Ars legendi Faculty Prize in Physics, are characterised by a consistent reference to research, in that the results of empirical studies are presented and discussed. His courses are also systematically related to subject-specific science, in that fundamental concepts of physics lectures are deepened and reflected upon in terms of subject didactics. They also have a clear link to school practice, with students planning small teaching sequences and experiments and demonstrating them to each other as well as trying them out with pupils.

The Ars legendi Faculty Award for Mathematics and Natural Sciences will be presented on 23 April 2024 at 17:30 in the EXPERIMINTA ScienceCenter Hamburger Allee 22-24, Frankfurt am Main. Interested parties are cordially invited. Please register by 12 April 2024 at www.gdch.de/ALFP2024.

Further information on the Ars legendi Faculty Prize for Mathematics and Natural Sciences can be found at https://www.stifterverband.org/ars-legendi-mn

Press contact:

Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker e.V.
Maren Mielck, Tel. 069 7917-327
E-Mail: pr@gdch.de

Stifterverband
Peggy Groß, Tel. 030 322982-530
Email: presse@stifterverband.de

The press release as a PDF document

Image material for download:

06/24
5 March 2024

From 9 to 12 April, analytica, the world's leading trade fair for laboratory technology, analysis and biotechnology, will take place for the 29th time at the Munich Exhibition Centre. It will be accompanied by the analytica conference from 9 to 11 April. In numerous sessions, scientists will report on current topics from analytics, quality control, diagnostics, measurement and testing technology as well as biotechnology and the life sciences. The scientific programme of the analytica conference is organised by Forum Analytik, which is made up of the Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker (GDCh), the Gesellschaft für Biochemie und Molekularbiologie (GBM) and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Klinische Chemie und Laboratoriumsmedizin (DGKL).

For the conference, the Forum Analytik has put together a comprehensive programme that covers almost all areas of analytics and presents the latest trends and developments. The topics have a high practical relevance, so that research and application benefit equally.

A look at the programme shows just how topical the subjects are: one session is dedicated to the topic of "Artificial Intelligence". The use of artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to revolutionise analytical chemistry. AI automates tasks, improves accuracy and increases the efficiency of research. Its role is constantly growing, making it an important tool in science. The speakers will show how AI and data science can provide concrete support for precision analysis and laboratory medicine.

The "Sustainability" session will focus on the sustainable laboratory. Sustainability in the laboratory does not just mean reducing energy and waste, saving water and using green chemistry. Sustainable supply chains, collaborations and sustainability in training are also important levers. Even small changes can have a big impact. The speakers will present their experiences and work with the audience to find ways in which laboratories can contribute to a greener and more sustainable future.

The topic of research data management is also highly topical and will be addressed in the three-session mini-symposium "Research Data Management". Technological progress means that researchers are producing more and more data. However, this data can only be found, accessed, interoperable and reusable if it is well managed and thus fulfils the FAIR data principles (FAIR: Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable). Efficient data management saves time and resources, reduces errors and improves the quality of analyses. The speakers will show how crucial effective research data management is for scientific progress, the promotion of transparency and the reliability of results.

In addition to these and many other sessions, an accompanying poster exhibition, supported by the companies Agilent and Merck, will round off the programme.

Two working groups of the GDCh's Analytical Chemistry Division will also use the conference to present awards: The German Working Group for Analytical Spectroscopy (DAAS) will award the "Bunsen-Kirchhoff Prize for Analytical Spectroscopy", which is supported by Analytik Jena GmbH. The prize honours outstanding spectroscopic achievements, particularly by younger scientists from universities, research institutes or industry. The Separation Science working group awards the "Eberhard Gerstel Prize" in Munich, which is sponsored by Gerstel GmbH & Co KG. The prize honours an outstanding publication in the field of analytical separation techniques that has appeared in an internationally recognised, peer-reviewed journal.

The analytica conference will take place at the ICM - International Congress Centre Munich on the exhibition grounds. The conference language is English. Admission to the conference is free for visitors to analytica. The joint stand of Forum Analytik is located in Hall B2, Stand 503.

The current programme for the analytica conference can be found at www.gdch.de/analyticaconf2024 or in the event database at www.analytica.de/konferenz.

Contact for the press:

analytica conference Maren Mielck Society of German Chemists Public Relations Tel.: +49 69 7917-327 Email: pr@gdch.de

analytica Claudia Grzelke PR Manager Messe München Tel.: +49 89 949-21498

The press release as a PDF document

Image material for download:

05/24
29 February 2024

The Paul Bunge Prize honours studies on the history of scientific instruments. This year, the prize will be awarded twice: Professor Dr Peter Heering, University of Flensburg, receives the award for his life's work - particularly with regard to the replication of historical experiments. Dr. Rebekah Higgitt, National Museums Scotland (NMS), UK, is honoured for her outstanding contributions and commitment to the history of scientific instruments. The Hans R. Jenemann Foundation Prize is endowed with a total of 7500 euros and is awarded jointly by the German Chemical Society (GDCh) and the German Bunsen Society for Physical Chemistry (DBG). The award ceremony will take place during the conference of the GDCh History of Chemistry Division from 21 to 22 March in Giessen.

Peter Heering is regarded as one of the leading representatives of historically accurate replicas of experiments. He uses original materials and refrains from using modern substitutes. In the course of his "experimental history of science", Heering reconstructs lost skills and combines historical and didactic approaches. In doing so, Heering demonstrates a deep understanding of the complexity of the use and handling of materials. With his findings, he has repeatedly contributed to understanding historical instrumental methods and shown how these can be relevant for teaching and scientific application.

Heering graduated from the University of Oldenburg (now the Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg) in 1990 with a 1st state examination in physics and chemistry for teaching at grammar schools. After completing his doctorate in Oldenburg in 1995, he passed the 2nd state examination in 1996. Heering subsequently held various positions up to the position of Academic Councillor in the Department of Physics at the University of Oldenburg in the area of teacher training. During this time, he completed his habilitation in the history of natural sciences at the University of Hamburg in 2006. Since 2009, he has been Professor of Physics and its Didactics at the European University of Flensburg (EUF). Heering belongs and has belonged to numerous professional societies and has held a variety of positions at the EUF.

Rebekah Higgitt is recognised as a leader in the field of science museology. She conducts research at the intersection of 18th and 19th century history of science, scientific instrument making and material and cultural history. As an outstanding museum practitioner, she brings her extensive knowledge to her exhibition and collection work and teaches students at the University of Kent, UK, the importance of the history of science and scientific instruments. Her publications have changed the debate on scientific instruments. For example, her publication 'Finding Longitude: How Ships, Clocks and Stars Helped Solve the Longitude Problem', co-edited with Richard Dunn, provided an important analysis of the role of scientists, instrument makers and government intervention in the final measurement of longitude at sea.

Rebekah Higgitt studied History at Durham University, UK, before completing her PhD in History of Science at Imperial College London, UK, in 2004. Before and during her doctorate, she worked as a library and archive assistant at University College London, UK, and at the London Metropolitan Archives, UK. From 2005, Higgitt was a postdoctoral researcher at the Institute of Geography at the University of Edinburgh, UK. From 2008, she was Curator of History of Science at the Royal Museums Greenwich, London, UK, before moving to the University of Kent, UK, as a Lecturer in History of Science in 2013. Since 2020, Higgitt has been Principal Curator of Science at National Museums Scotland (NMS), UK. She is an elected member of the Royal Astronomical Society and the Royal Historical Society and is involved in numerous other societies and organisations. In addition to these activities, she is also active in administration and teaching. Higgitt has curated a number of exhibitions and published widely. Her work has been honoured with several awards and grants.

Peter Heering and Rebekah Higgitt will each receive a Paul Bunge Prize with prize money totalling 3750 euros. Both will give an insight into their work in a lecture at the conference of the GDCh History of Chemistry Division.

During the conference, the Division also awards the Bettina Haupt Prize, each worth 1,500 euros, which honours young scientists for an outstanding publication on a topic from the history of chemistry. This year, Dr Paulina S. Gennermann received the award for her dissertation "A history with taste - The nature of synthetic flavourings in the 20th century using the example of vanillin", which she wrote at Bielefeld University, and Dr Josephine Musil-Gutsch for her doctoral thesis "Past under the microscope - Cooperative research practice between the natural sciences and humanities 1880-1930" at Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich.

Further information on the conference can be found at www.gdch.de/geschichte2024

With around 30,000 members, the German Chemical Society (GDCh) is one of the largest chemical societies in the world. It maintains numerous foundations, including the Hans R. Jenemann Foundation. The Paul Bunge Prize of the Hans R. Jenemann Foundation is awarded annually, usually alternating between the Bunsen Conference and the lecture conferences of the GDCh History of Chemistry Division.

The Paul Bunge Prize is regarded worldwide as the most important honour in the field of the history of scientific instruments and is advertised publicly and internationally. The advisory board of the Hans R. Jenemann Foundation, which is supported by the GDCh and the DBG, decides on the award. Hans R. Jenemann (1920-1996), a chemist at Schott Glaswerke in Mainz, became known for his contributions to the history of scientific instruments, especially historical balances. He himself established the foundation in 1992. The prize is named after the Hamburg precision mechanic Paul Bunge (1839-1888), one of the leading designers of laboratory balances for chemical analysis.

The press release as a PDF document

Image material for download:

04/24
22 February 2024

Under the motto "Rethinking Chemistry: Towards A Greener Future", the spring symposium of the JCF (JungesChemieForum) of the German Chemical Society (GDCh) will take place in Ulm from 13 to 16 March. The conference, which is organised by changing regional forums of the JCF, the association of young members of the GDCh, is aimed at the young chemistry community in Germany and abroad. Around 200 scientists are expected to attend. The programme includes lectures, workshops, an industry exhibition and a poster session. Other highlights include the presentation of the Carl Roth Award and the Dres. Volker and Elke Münch Award.

For 26 years, the JCF Spring Symposium has been one of the largest conferences in Europe organised by and for young researchers. The event is organised annually by different JCF regional forums. In 2024, the regional forums in Ulm, Munich and Stuttgart have taken over the organisation and jointly created a varied programme.

In 2024, the event is all about sustainability. This is because chemistry can provide important solutions to the pressing challenges of climate change, resource scarcity and environmental degradation. The spring symposium is therefore dedicated to the exciting question of how chemistry can help shape a more sustainable world.

This year's plenary speakers include Professor Dr John C. Warner, Warner Babcock Institute for Green Chemistry, LLC/US, one of the founders of the concept of green chemistry. In addition, Professor Dr Jovana V. Milić, Adolphe Merkle Institute, University of Fribourg, CH, Professor Dr Wendy Lee Queen, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH, Dr Sebastian B. Beil, University of Groningen, NL, and Professor Dr Amitabh Banerji, University of Potsdam, will give plenary lectures. In addition to internationally renowned scientists, the spring symposium will also be attended by junior research group leaders and young researchers. The programme also includes workshops, an industry exhibition and a poster session. The GDCh Career Service will also be on site with a stand on 14 and 15 March to answer questions about careers and starting a career.

On 14 March, the Carl Roth Sponsorship Award will be presented during the conference. The GDCh awards the prize, which is endowed with 5000 euros, to young chemists who develop resource-saving synthesis routes or use chemicals in innovative ways. The prize is financed by Carl Roth GmbH & Co KG, which also contributes a further 3000 euros in the form of a voucher. The prize goes to Tristan von Münchow, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, for his work in which he convincingly combines resource conservation and innovation. His research focuses on resource-saving organic synthesis through enantioselective 3d transition metal-catalysed electrochemical C-H activation - an innovative electrocatalysis in which the hydrogen formed can be used as a green and clean energy carrier and storage medium. Von Münchow's pioneering research results have already been published in the journal Science.

The Dres. Volker and Elke Münch Prize will also be awarded on 14 March. The prize from the foundation of the same name, which is based at the GDCh, is endowed with 7,000 euros and is awarded to young inventors who have made a pioneering invention in the field of chemistry or chemical process engineering. The prize money is used to support a patent application. This year, the award goes to the teams led by Professor Dr Sebastian Hasenstab-Riedel and Professor Dr Rainer Haag from Freie Universität Berlin. They developed a resource-saving and environmentally friendly process to adsorb chlorine from a chlorine-containing residual gas stream (see Press release 27/23).

On 14 March, the FAIR4Chem Award will also be presented to Robin Lenz, Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden. The award honours published datasets from chemical research that best fulfil the FAIR principles (findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable). It is awarded by the NFDI4Chem consortium, in which the GDCh is involved, and supported by the Chemical Industry Fund.

Further information can be found at https://symposium.jcf.io.

With around 30,000 members, the German Chemical Society is one of the largest chemical societies in the world. It promotes scientific work, research and teaching as well as the exchange and dissemination of new scientific knowledge. The GDCh supports the creation of networks, transdisciplinary and international co-operation and continuous education and training in schools, universities and professional environments. The GDCh has 27 specialist groups as well as 60 local chapters and regional forums of the JCF (Young Chemists' Forum) at 54 university locations. Nationwide, the JCF forms a platform for around 10,000 young members of the GDCh.

The press release as a pdf document

Image material for download:

03/24
15 February 2024

More than 300 chemists will come together at RWTH Aachen University from 11 to 13 March for the Chemistry Lecturers' Conference 2024. The German Chemical Society (GDCh) will be awarding two prestigious prizes at the event: Dr Eva E. Wille, Weinheim, will be awarded the Gmelin-Beilstein Memorial Medal and Junior Professor Dr Corina Andronescu, University of Duisburg-Essen, will receive the Carl Duisberg Memorial Prize. In addition, a young scientist will receive ADUC prizes for establishing an independent field of research.

The Chemistry Lecturers' Conference is organised by the Association of German University Professors of Chemistry (ADUC) of the GDCh and brings together young academics from all areas of chemistry. Habilitation candidates, junior professors and scholarship holders use the conference to present their research and exchange ideas. The scientific programme includes lectures from various fields of chemistry, a keynote speech by Professor Dr Sebastian Seiffert, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, and numerous workshops. The GDCh will also award the Gmelin-Beilstein Memorial Medal and the Carl Duisberg Memorial Prize in a festive setting. The ADUC also honours a young scientist with ADUC prizes.

The Gmelin-Beilstein Memorial Medal, a silver medal that comes with a certificate and prize money of 7500 euros, is awarded by the GDCh to national and international personalities who have made special contributions to the history of chemistry, chemical literature or chemical information. Dr Eva E. Wille receives the award for her extraordinary commitment to the establishment and further development of chemical literature, far beyond her core activities at Wiley-VCH Verlag, her employer of many years. The selection committee emphasised her commitment to the historical literature of chemistry and the classification of various areas of chemistry in a historical context, particularly during the National Socialist era.

Eva Elisabeth Wille, born in 1955, completed her degree in chemistry in 1983 at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich with a doctorate. In 1985, she began her career at Wiley-VCH Verlag (formerly Verlag Chemie or VCH-Verlagsgesellschaft), which she completed in 2019 when she retired as Vice President & Executive Director Chemistry and member of the Global Physical Sciences Management Board. For many years, she has contributed her expertise on a voluntary basis to various committees and societies, including the Arbeitsgemeinschaft Zeitschriftenverlage (AGZV), the Deutsche Fachpresse (DF), the Börsenverein des Deutschen Buchhandels and the GDCh. Since 2020, she has been a member of the Advisory Board of the series "Lebenswerke in der Chemie" published by the GDCh History of Chemistry Division. Wille has been a committed GDCh member since 1980 and has chaired the Senior Experts in Chemistry (SEC) section since 2023.

The Carl Duisberg Memorial Prize, which is endowed with 7500 euros, has been awarded since 1936 to young university lecturers who are working at a German university or as Germans at a foreign university, do not yet hold a W2/W3 or comparable position and have not yet reached the age of 40. This year, Junior Professor Dr Corina Andronescu, University of Duisburg-Essen, receives the award for her impressive overall picture of strong and innovative research performance, fundamental teaching, enormous third-party funding, convincing group management experience and international experience. Andronescu is regarded as a pioneer in electrochemical catalysis in the development of methods for the stable immobilisation of catalysts on the electrode - an aspect that is neglected in many works, but is of great importance, especially for the application of electrocatalysts.

Corina Andronescu, born in 1987, completed her studies in chemical engineering in 2014 at the University politechnica in Bucharest (UPB), Romania, with a doctorate. She then worked as a lecturer at UPB and as a postdoctoral researcher at Ruhr University Bochum (RUB) until she took up the Junior Professorship for Electrochemical Catalysis at the University of Duisburg-Essen (UDE) in 2018. She has already received several awards, including the Jochen Block Prize from DECHEMA in 2023, and is a member of numerous committees and societies.

During the conference, the ADUC will also honour a young scientist with ADUC awards. Dr Jola Pospech, Leibniz Institute for Catalysis e. V. in Rostock, will receive an ADUC award for her creative contributions in the field of photoredox catalysis, in particular for the development of catalytically active pyrimidopteridines, their mechanistic investigation and their use in hydroamination and hydroacylation reactions. Dr Moritz Malischewski, Freie Universität Berlin, was also honoured for his successes in the field of highly reactive and unusual coordination compounds, in particular through reactions in superacidic media and using highly fluorinated cyclopentadienide ligands.

Further information on the conference at www.gdch.de/cdt2024

The German Chemical Society (GDCh) is one of the largest chemical societies in the world with around 30,000 members. It has 27 specialist groups and awards numerous prizes for special achievements in chemical research. Every year, the GDCh's long-standing Association of German University Professors of Chemistry (ADUC) honours up to three young scientists (during their habilitation, fellowship or junior professorship) for establishing an independent field of research.

The press release as a pdf document

Image material for download:

02/24
02 February 2024

Joint press release from the German Geosciences Umbrella Organisation (DVGeo), the German Mathematical Society (DMV), the German Physical Society (DPG), the German Chemical Society (GDCh) and the Association of Biology, Biosciences and Biomedicine in Germany (VBIO)

The mathematical and scientific societies united under the motto "Science unites" are dismayed by the anti-democratic and nationalistic approaches in Germany that threaten and marginalise individuals and entire groups. This harms Germany as a centre of science. Science depends on openness to the world, international co-operation, democracy and the rule of law as well as freedom of research and teaching. All members of the mathematical and scientific societies are called upon to send a clear signal in their environment in favour of an open-minded, democratic society and free science.

The mathematical and scientific societies - the Umbrella Organisation of Geosciences (DVGeo), the German Mathematical Society (DMV), the German Physical Society (DPG), the German Chemical Society (GDCh) and the Association of Biology, Biosciences and Biomedicine in Germany (VBIO) - are defending themselves against nationalist and anti-democratic endeavours of all kinds with their declaration. In doing so, they are sending out a signal in favour of freedom of research, democracy and the rule of law, as well as openness to the world and international cooperation. These points are prerequisites for the scientific, economic and social well-being of our country - and therefore also for the individual standard of living of each and every citizen.

Open culture of discourse
Like science, society also thrives on open discourse - on the exchange of facts and arguments, their evaluation and the willingness to further develop one's own views and hypotheses if a change in the data situation requires it. However, there is currently little evidence of this in many a discourse in the political and social arena: facts are denied or distorted, narratives are orientated towards opportunism and self-interest and the tone is becoming harsher and louder. The willingness to question one's own opinions is decreasing, while intolerance and radicalisation are on the rise.
An open and respectful culture of discussion is essential for mathematical and scientific societies. This applies to the general discourse as well as the discourse in science. Hostility towards science, obstruction of academic freedom, intolerance and marginalisation damage Germany as a centre of science.

Open-mindedness and international cooperation
Science is not bound by national borders, especially in the context of mathematics and the natural sciences. The exchange of ideas and people with different backgrounds and approaches acts as a driving force for science and knowledge, which we urgently need to tackle the challenges of the future.

The mathematical and scientific societies therefore warn against restricting science to the national level and strongly oppose all efforts to make international cooperation more difficult. Purely national science would do considerable harm to our country.

Democracy and the rule of law
Democracy and the rule of law provide a reliable framework in which science can work creatively and deliver results. Any questioning of democracy and the rule of law as well as any exclusion jeopardises research projects in Germany. The mathematical and scientific societies warn against the voluntary or forced migration of scientists to other countries with better framework conditions. The resulting loss of knowledge would weaken Germany as a centre of research, a fact that is also accepted by those actors who otherwise place great emphasis on national strength.
Against the background outlined above, the mathematical and scientific societies are alarmed by the latest anti-democratic and nationalist efforts in Germany. They firmly believe that a country's prosperity and strength are not based on homogeneity, but on diversity and freedom. The societies will continue to stand up for freedom of research, democracy and the rule of law as well as cosmopolitanism and international cooperation. They therefore call on all their members to send a clear signal in their private and social environment in favour of an open-minded, democratic society and free science. In this context, members are also called upon in particular to exercise the democratic rights guaranteed by the German Basic Law, e.g. in elections.

Contact:

Dachverband der Geowissenschaften (DVGeo):
Tamara Fahry-Seelig, Managing Director, Tel.: 030 20179-683, e-mail: fahry-seelig@dvgeo.org

German Mathematical Society (DMV):
Thomas Vogt, Press Office, Tel.: 030 838756-57, e-mail: presse@mathematik.de

German Physical Society (DPG):
Andreas Böttcher, Press Office, Tel.: 030 201748-0, e-mail: boettcher@dpg-physik.de

German Chemical Society (GDCh):
Dr Karin J. Schmitz, Head of Public Relations, Tel.: 069 7917-493, e-mail: pr@gdch.de

Verband Biologie, Biowissenschaften und Biomedizin in Deutschland (VBIO):
Dr Kerstin Elbing, Ressort Wissenschaft & Gesellschaft, Tel.: 030 278919-16, E-Mail: elbing@vbio.de

The press release as a pdf document

01/24
16 January 2024

The German Chemical Society (GDCh) has awarded Dr Juliane Simmchen, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK, and Technische Universität Dresden, the Mario Markus Prize for Ludic Sciences. She receives the prize for a publication in which she investigates biomimetic behaviour in artificially produced active matter. The prize, which is endowed with 10,000 euros, honours scientific work in the field of natural sciences that is characterised by its playful nature. The prizewinner impressed the selection committee with her playful approach to a complex topic in order to gain exciting insights. The award ceremony will take place on 30 January at a public event on the premises of the Physikalischer Verein in Frankfurt am Main.

"A bit like playing computer games in the lab, only cooler," is how Juliane Simmchen describes her work. She is researching how to move microparticles in liquids in a targeted manner. While people can glide through the water with targeted movements when swimming, microparticles need to be permanently supplied with energy in order to move in liquids and have to be equipped with a "motor", so to speak.

In the award-winning publication, Simmchen investigated a special phenomenon: the completely artificial, magnetic and photocatalytic microswimmers she produced crossed a line of light and then changed direction without any additional stimulus. In order to find out why the microswimmers swim "back to the light", she looked at different influences. The researcher found that neither the magnetic field nor the hydrogen peroxide content had a significant effect. The decisive factor is the size of the particles. These results show how simple physical effects can lead to complex but stable behaviour, similar to natural mechanisms.

Juliane Simmchen, who was born in 1986, studied chemistry at the Technical University of Dresden. After graduating in Analytical Chemistry in 2010, she completed her PhD in Materials Science at the Catalan Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (ICN2) at the Autonomous University of Barcelona in Spain in 2014. After stays at the MPI for Intelligent Systems, Stuttgart, and at the Centro Brasileiro de Pesquisas Físicas, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, she returned to the Technische Universität Dresden as a research associate in 2016. Since 2016, she has been a Freigeist Fellow there on the topic of 'Light driven microswimmers'. Since 2022, she has also been teaching at the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK. In 2022, the GDCh honoured Simmchen with the Carl Duisberg Memorial Prize for her research.

The Mario Markus Prize for Ludic Sciences, endowed with 10,000 euros, is funded by Professor Dr Mario Markus, Dortmund, who has dedicated himself to Ludic science and coined the term. After all, while research projects today are increasingly being carried out with a view to concrete applicability, a look into the past shows that we have been gaining new knowledge through play and sheer curiosity since ancient times.

The Mario Marcus Prize for Ludic Sciences will be awarded on 30 January in cooperation with the Physikalischer Verein in the lecture theatre of the Physikalischer Verein at Robert-Mayer-Straße 2 in Frankfurt/Main. During the event, the prizewinner will explain her research in more detail. All interested parties are cordially invited. Please register at www.gdch.de/mariomarkus. Afterwards, there will be an opportunity to visit the observatory of the Physikalischer Verein.

With around 30,000 members, the German Chemical Society (GDCh) is one of the largest chemical societies in the world. It promotes scientific work, research and teaching as well as the exchange and dissemination of scientific knowledge. One of its aims is to make modern chemistry understandable to interested members of the public and thus open up connections in science and technology to them.

The press release as a pdf document

Image material for download: