Press releases 2021

26 Getting started with the GDCh training courses 2022

GDCh training program becomes GDCh.academy

26/21
November 16, 2021

The 2022 advanced training program of the German Chemical Society (GDCh) has been published completely digitally as GDCh.academy. The printed brochure was set up in line with the GDCh digital strategy and climate protection. In addition to the individual courses from eleven specialist areas and the proven specialist programs, the new specialist program ?Certified Emergency Manager (GDCh) (m/f/d)? will start in 2022.

The GDCh.academy offers a user-friendly overview of all advanced training courses of the GDCh in 2022. In addition to the general information, such as course topic, event period, venue and course management, there is also extensive in-depth information for each course. The objectives and content of the training courses are described in detail and the recommended target group is outlined.

In the coming year, the GDCh will again offer many opportunities to develop professionally, professionally and personally. The 2022 offer consists of around 50 courses in eleven subject areas. In addition to training courses on classic chemistry topics such as synthesis methods and food chemistry issues, there are also courses on quality assurance and modern methods and processes. In all courses, the participants benefit from instructors with a high level of experience and competence. In addition to the face-to-face courses, e-learning courses are also offered, so that every type of learning is catered for.

With the changeover from the brochure to the GDCh.academy, not only is the environment protected (around 15 tons of paper alone can be saved in this way), but the GDCh is reacting to the changing needs of those who want to continue training. The GDCh.app can be downloaded for smartphones and tablets free of charge from Google Play and the Apple App Store. Desktop users can also open the app at https://gdch.app with any internet-enabled device with a modern browser. An installation is not required for this.

In addition to the numerous individual courses, the proven GDCh specialist programs "Certified Business Chemist (GDCh)® (m/f/d)" and "Certified Quality Expert GxP (GDCh) (m/f/d)" will also be offered in 2022. In addition, the new specialist program ?Certified Emergency Manager (GDCh) (m/f/d)? is being offered for the first time. In the technical program, preparation, reaction and solution options are presented in order to be able to initiate adequate measures in emergency situations within the shortest possible time. Participants learn how companies, supervisors and employees can remain capable of acting in an emergency.

Detailed information on the courses and the specialist programs can be found at https://gdch.academy

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25 Low-emission biogas treatment using tailor-made membrane polymers

Meyer-Galow Award for Business Chemistry Chemistry 2021 goes to the Evonik team

25/21
November 9, 2021

The German Chemical Society (GDCh) honors Dr. Goetz Baumgarten, Dr. Jörg Balster and Dr. Axel Kobus from the Essen-based specialty chemicals group Evonik with the Meyer-Galow Award for Business Chemistry Chemistry 2021. The team received the EUR 10,000 award for the development and market launch of novel membrane modules made of polyimide, which enable low-emission biogas processing. The award ceremony will take place on November 25 as part of a hybrid ceremony at Evonik Industries in Essen. The award will be presented by the Deputy GDCh President Dr. Carla Seidel.

Polyimides are high-performance plastics that are very pressure and temperature resistant and can also be spun very well. They are therefore particularly suitable for use in so-called hollow-fiber membranes, which are used, for example, in gas treatment technology. At Evonik, it was possible to tailor and further develop the properties of its own polyimide family in such a way that membrane modules with special gas separation properties could be created with the help of the hollow-fiber membranes spun from them. With the support of the in-house membrane process technology and the associated process engineering infrastructure, an innovative system solution for gas separation tasks was created for the market.

The awardee have made a significant contribution to establishing a technologically leading supplier of efficient and durable gas separation membranes under the brand name SEPURAN® within just ten years. To do this, they set up a highly motivated and entrepreneurial team of internal and external experts with whom initial technology gaps could be closed.

A membrane-based gas processing technology for raw biogas to biomethane, which was specially developed for the newly emerging biogas market from 2011, was able to assert itself against both competitive processes and alternative membrane solutions. With more than 300 plants worldwide, it is the leading biogas processing technology today. Studies show that with biomethane produced in this way, emissions can be reduced by around 90 percent compared to natural gas. The awardee have thus made a valuable contribution to making the renewable raw material biomethane available in a simple, robust and particularly energy-efficient manner and to enabling subsequent applications. Since 2015, the team has been developing the product range with new membrane and module types so that the entire gas market can be served.

The Meyer-Galow Award for Business Chemistry 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 primarily take into account the aspect of sustainability. The award was presented by Professor Dr. Erhard Meyer-Galow , the former CEO of Hüls AG and former President of the GDCh. Meyer-Galow worked primarily at the interface between chemistry and the market and gave lectures on "Business chemistry in the chemical industry" at the University of Münster.

With around 30,000 members, the German Chemical Society (GDCh) is one of the largest chemical science societies in the world. It has 27 Divisions as well as 60 local sections and regional young chemist forums. 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 Business Chemistry, which Professor Dr. Erhard Meyer-Galow in 2012 to further promote business chemistry.

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Image material for download:

Dr. Goetz Baumgarten
Foto: privat
Dr. Joerg Balster
Foto: privat
Dr. Axel Kobus
Foto: privat
 

24 Karsten Danielmeier becomes President of the GDCh

Katharina Uebele was the first young female chemist to be elected Deputy President.

24/21
October 21, 2021

dr Karsten Danielmeier, currently Head of Growth Businesses in the Coatings and Adhesives business unit at Covestro, will become President of the German Chemical Society (GDCh) on January 1, 2022. With around 30,000 members, the society is one of the largest chemical scientific societies in the world. Danielmeier was elected future president by the incumbent GDCh Board at the board meeting on August 30, 2021.

He will succeed Professor Dr. Peter R. Schreiner, who held the office for a two-year rotation and has now been elected as one of the Vice Presidents. The executive Executive Committee is completed by GDCh board member and business Katharina Uebele. She was the first young female chemist to be elected Deputy President. dr Timo Fleßner, Bayer AG, was confirmed in office as Treasurer.

The new Executive Committee has big plans for the next term of office. In particular, it would like to fill the three mission statements of society with a focus on digitization, diversity and internationalization even more with life. The course taken in recent years to advance the modernization of the GDCh is also to be continued.
"We can be proud of what the GDCh has achieved and what it represents, but we also want to accompany the changes in society and science and thus actively shape the future of the GDCh," emphasizes Danielmeier.

Karsten Danielmeier, born in Werl in 1967, studied at the Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn and was taught there in 1995 by Professor Dr. Eberhard Steckhan in synthetic organic chemistry. The following year he joined Bayer AG, where he held numerous positions of increasing responsibility in raw material research for coatings and adhesives in Germany and the USA. Most recently, he headed research for the Functional Films division in Leverkusen and was Senior Vice President for Research and Development in the Coatings, Adhesives, Specialties segment at Covestro from 2015 to 2021.

Danielmeier has been a member of the Board of the GDCh since July 2020 and was previously active in the scientific planning committee of the GDCh Division of Coating Chemistry for several years.

About the German Chemical Society (GDCh):
With around 30,000 members, the German Chemical Society is one of the largest chemical science 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 cooperation and continuous education and training in schools, universities and in the professional environment. The GDCh has 27 Divisions and 60 local sections.

About Covestro:
With sales of EUR 10.7 billion in 2020, Covestro is one of the world's leading polymer companies. Business focuses are the production of high-tech polymer materials and the development of innovative, sustainable solutions for products that are used in many areas of everyday life. In doing so, Covestro is fully geared towards the circular economy. The main customers are the automotive and transport industries, the construction industry, the furniture and wood processing industries as well as the electrical, electronics and household appliance industries. There are also areas such as sports and leisure, cosmetics, health and the chemical industry itself. At the end of 2020, Covestro produced at 33 locations worldwide and employed around 16,500 people (full-time equivalents).

Contact:

dr Karin J Schmitz
German Chemical Society registered association
public relations
Phone +49 69 7917-493
Email: pr@gdch.de
www.gdch.de/presse

dr Frank Rothbarth
Covestro AG
communication
Phone +49 214 6009 2536
Email: frank.rothbarth@covestro.com

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Press release as pdf document (English)

Dr. Karsten Danielmeier
Foto: Bert Bostelmann/bildfolio
Prof. Dr. Peter R. Schreiner
Foto: K. Friese
Dr. Timo Fleßner
Foto: Bayer AG

23 awards for polymer chemists

Online event for the awarding of the Hermann Staudinger Prize, the Reimund Stadler Prize and the Dr. Hermann Schnell grants

23/21
October 19, 2021

On November 3, 2021, the German Chemical Society (GDCh) honors Professor Dr. Markus Antonietti, Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Potsdam, with the Hermann Staudinger Award 2020. The award ceremony originally planned for 2020 will be held as part of an Online event. On this occasion, the Reimund-Stadler Award 2020 of the GDCh Division of Macromolecular Chemistry and two Dr. Hermann Schnell grants awarded. After the award ceremony, the awardee provide insights into their research.

Markus Antonietti receives the Hermann Staudinger Award, which is endowed with 7,500 euros, for his research at the interfaces between polymer synthesis, materials research and interdisciplinary applications of functional materials. The chemist has advanced polymer and colloid science in Germany and internationally in a wide variety of areas. For three decades he has been working in an interdisciplinary manner between polymer science, colloid science, catalysis and photochemistry. With his innovative approaches, Antonietti creatively pushes the boundaries of science in areas ranging from biomedicine to energy research and also includes aspects of sustainability in his work. In the spirit of Hermann Staudinger, he shows no hesitation in leaving established material classes in order to explore new ones. In addition to his scientific achievements, the GDCh also recognizes Antonietti's exemplary promotion of young talent with the award.

Antonietti, born in Mainz in 1960, studied chemistry in his hometown. During his habilitation on microgels with a special structure, he was the first to also deal with nanogels. At the end of the 1980s, about 20 years before research on nanoparticles became established, he recognized the special features of polymeric nanomaterials. He also worked very successfully on the self-assembly of block copolymers, on polyelectrolytes and amphiphilic polymers.

In 1993 he became the youngest director of the Max Planck Society. Scientifically, he turned to crystal growth of polymers, biomimetic mineralization and mesocrystalline structures and included inorganic nanomaterials in his research, using polymeric ionic liquids as the reaction medium. About fifteen years ago, carbon became the focus of his interest. Antonietti's contributions to chemical energy storage ranged from the design of carbon nanostructures to "hydrothermal carbonization", the artificial production of lignite or liquid petroleum precursors from biomass, which he supplemented with work on other energy carriers. His contributions to artificial photosynthesis and the chemical use of carbon dioxide in general are remarkable. Antonietti's work has already received several awards, including two honorary doctorates, three honorary professorships, the Liebig commemorative coin of the GDCh (2016) and the Federal Cross of Merit, 1st Class (2018).

During the event, the Reimund-Stadler Award will also be awarded to Professor Dr. André Gröschel, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster. This award, which is endowed with 5000 euros, is given to prospective university teachers in the field of polymer chemistry and related areas who have presented an outstanding work at the "Newcomer Workshops University 2019" of the GDCh Division of Macromolecular Chemistry . a dr Hermann Schnell scholarship for young scientists in the field of macromolecular chemistry received Dr. Johannes Brendel, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, and Dr. Lutz Nuhn, Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Mainz.

With around 30,000 members, the German Chemical Society (GDCh) is one of the largest chemical science societies in the world. It has 27 Divisions, including the Division of Macromolecular Chemistry with over 1200 members. The Division brings together scientists from universities, research institutes and industry from all areas of polymer chemistry and physics. The Division 's Reimund-Stadler Award is endowed with 5,000 euros. The Division of Macromolecular Chemistry has the right to propose the Hermann Staudinger Award of the GDCh, named after the 1953 Nobel Prize winner in chemistry and endowed with 7,500 euros.

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Professor Dr. Markus Antonietti
Foto: Max-Planck-Institut für Kolloid- und Grenzflächenforschung, Potsdam

22 Marina Rodnina receives the Albrecht-Kossel Award

New insights into protein biosynthesis

22/21
October 14, 2021

On October 21, the German Chemical Society (GDCh) awards the Albrecht-Kossel Award , which is endowed with 7,500 euros, to Professor Dr. Marina Rodnina, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry in Göttingen, for her work in the field of biochemistry. The award ceremony will take place as part of the Online meeting "RNA Biochemistry".

Marina Rodnina convinced the selection committee with her work on new approaches to investigating the function of the ribosome and how it works in protein biosynthesis. She combined experimental approaches that are otherwise used alternatively rather than in conjunction, and combined kinetic analysis with structure-based methods. In this way, the award winner succeeded in developing novel models of translation in general and in gaining new insights into the individual catalytic steps of the ribosome.

Marina Rodnina studied biology at the National Taras Shevchenko University in Kiev, Ukraine, where she received her PhD in 1989 in the field of molecular biology and genetics. Between 1990 and 1992 she did research at the Private University of Witten/Herdecke as a fellow of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. There Rodnina habilitated in biochemistry in 1997 and then held a professorship at the Institute for Molecular Biology. In 2000 she took over the chair of physical biochemistry at the private university in Witten/Herdecke. Since 2008 she has been Executive Director of the Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry in Göttingen and Head of the Department of Physical Biochemistry.

Marina Rodnina is a member of the National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina. In 2016 she was awarded the Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize by the German Research Foundation (DFG).

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21 Hofmann scholarships advertised in 2022

300 euros per month for chemistry students

21/21
October 5, 2021

The August Wilhelm von Hofmann Foundation set up by the German Chemical Society (GDCh) will once again award scholarships for the 2022 summer semester. Beginning in April 2022, bachelor, diploma or exam students in chemistry and related fields can receive a scholarship of 300 euros per month for a period of 18 or 12 months. Applications must be submitted via the Online portal by February 1, 2022.

Bachelor, diploma or exam students in chemistry and related fields with very good academic achievements who are in an economically unfavorable situation can apply for one of the twenty or so scholarships from the August Wilhelm von Hofmann Foundation. Commitment outside of the course is also a criterion for the award. Another requirement is that the students are in the fourth or fifth semester of their studies at the beginning of the 2022 summer semester. The funding ends at the end of the sixth semester at the latest.

The scholarship cannot be extended. There is a new call for applications every year in the winter semester. The scholarship does not count towards BAföG benefits, but double funding in addition to other performance-based material funding from gifted organizations is excluded.

The August-Wilhelm-von-Hofmann-Foundation is named after the first president of the German Chemical Society, which was founded in 1867 and was the predecessor of the GDCh. The founder is a long-time GDCh member who died in 2010 and who bequeathed most of his wealth to the GDCh to support talented chemistry students.

More information at www. gdch.de/hofmannstiftung

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20 A passion for precision

JOINT PRESS RELEASE
of the city of Frankfurt am Main
the German Chemical Society e. V. (GDCh) as well as
the German Physical Society e. V. (DPG)

20/21
September 30, 2021

The 2021 Otto Hahn Award goes to nuclear physicist Klaus Blaum from the Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics in Heidelberg. The award is endowed with 50,000 euros and is sponsored jointly by the city of Frankfurt am Main, the German Chemical Society (GDCh) and the German Physical Society (DPG). The award ceremony will take place on November 5th in the festive setting of the Paulskirche in Frankfurt.

"A passion for precision" succinctly characterizes the research of the physicist Klaus Blaum, who is being awarded the Otto Hahn Award 2021 this year. His work is groundbreaking for large areas of atomic, nuclear and particle physics, especially for testing the fundamental forces of nature in the microcosm.

"The questions that Klaus Blaum deals with are only at first glance far removed from our everyday reality," says Lord Mayor Peter Feldmann, describing the work of the prizewinner. ?He is, as a layman might say, the cartographer of the microcosm. He meticulously and precisely measures the forces at work there. Through it we understand the mechanisms of action of our environment. He proves that small-scale work understood in this way is not small-small ? on the contrary, it challenges our understanding of the world.?

"With his research, Blaum expands our knowledge of the fundamental properties of the components of the matter that surrounds us," adds Lutz Schröter, President of the German Physical Society. Blaum's research activities are wide-ranging and can best be summarized as the "study of exotic particles and states". This includes investigations on highly charged ions, on short-lived atomic nuclei, on antimatter and on the heaviest, artificial elements.

"With Klaus Blaum, an exceptional scientist has received the Otto Hahn Award," says Peter R. Schreiner, President of the German Chemical Society. "The findings from his work also create important foundations for chemical research."

Today, the properties of elementary particles and the forces acting between them are often studied at the highest energies. However, a number of fundamental questions in particle physics and cosmology can be pursued particularly well at low energies.

Since the effects here are usually extremely tiny, the highest level of precision is required. To this end, Blaum and his group developed a large number of sophisticated techniques and often only carried out the experiments on individual particles at extremely low temperatures. With a series of brilliant ideas and extraordinary experimental skills, he combined sophisticated techniques of atomic, nuclear and accelerator physics.

Blaum has published his scientific results in more than 450 scientific articles in the leading and internationally recognized physics journals. Although considered young in scientific circles at 49, he is already one of the world's most prolific and cited researchers in the field of precision physics and metrology.

Klaus Blaum was born on December 27, 1971 in Bad Sobernheim in Rhineland-Palatinate. He studied physics at the Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, where, after graduating in 1997 and several research stays at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) in Richland, USA, he received his doctorate in 2000 with Ernst-Wilhelm Otten (1934 - 2019). He was then a research associate at the GSI Helmholtz Center for Heavy Ion Research in Darmstadt until 2002 and worked at the European Nuclear Research Center CERN near Geneva. There he was project manager for "mass spectrometry of exotic nuclei with ISOLTRAP at ISOLDE" until 2004. In October 2004, Blaum took over the position of project manager of the Helmholtz University junior research group "Experiments with Stored and Cooled Ions" at the Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz for four years. In 2006 he habilitated there on high-precision mass spectrometry with Penning traps for charged particles and storage rings.

Blaum taught at the University of Mainz from 2004 to 2008. In 2006 he was awarded the teaching prize of the state of Rhineland-Palatinate for his teaching activities. In October 2007, at the age of just 35, he was appointed director and scientific member of the Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics in Heidelberg. In April 2008 he was appointed honorary professor (W3) at the Ruprecht-Karls University in Heidelberg. As Vice President of the Max Planck Society, Blaum has been responsible for the institutes of the Chemical-Physical-Technical Section since July 2020.

From an early age, Blaum was awarded a number of highly prestigious prizes, including the 2004 Gustav Hertz Prize from the German Physical Society for his outstanding work on determining the mass of unstable atomic nuclei and the 2012 Helmholtz Prize from the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt ( PTB) and in 2020 with the Lise Meitner Prize of the European Physical Society (EPS). In 2019 he was accepted as an external member of the physics class of the "Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences".

The Otto Hahn Award is awarded jointly by the City of Frankfurt am Main, the German Physical Society (DPG) and the German Chemical Society (GDCh). It serves to promote science, particularly in the fields of chemistry, physics and applied engineering, by recognizing outstanding scientific achievements. It is endowed with 50,000 euros and is awarded every two years at a ceremony in Frankfurt's Paulskirche.

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© Stefanie Aumiller / MPG

19 New recommendations for the bachelor’s degree in chemistry at universities

Digital teaching, research data management and sustainability in focus

19/21
September 21, 2021

The chemistry study commission of the German Chemical Society (GDCh) presents new, updated recommendations for the bachelor's degree in chemistry at universities. In addition to the content of the chemical subject areas, new aspects of digital teaching, research data management and sustainability were also taken into account.

The updated recommendations are primarily concerned with cataloging essential scientific content and knowledge that should be taught in all university bachelor's degree programs in chemistry. The catalog of topics is intended to help ensure that chemistry studies continue to be of high quality throughout Germany. The Commission naturally assumes that individual university locations will also set individual priorities.

The Commission attaches particular importance to ensuring that the constant increase in detailed knowledge does not lead to practical laboratory training being pushed back. For later professional qualifications, it is essential that experimenting, observing and evaluating test results is given sufficient time during the course. ?Digital teaching media also supplement modern chemistry studies, but can by no means replace practical training. The proportion of practical work in chemistry studies is about 35-50 percent.", says Professor Dr. Peter R. Schreiner, GDCh President and Chairman of the Study Commission.

Due to the central importance of the UN Sustainable Development Goals for chemistry in research and industrial application as well as the political and social discussion, content in the sense of sustainable development should be integrated into existing courses or taught in new ones in the future.

In addition, digitization in modern chemistry courses requires skills in handling data, digital teaching content and research data management even at bachelor level. This requires the teaching content to be supplemented with data science tools including chemical informatics fundamentals. New digital tools enable significantly more competence-oriented teaching and learning scenarios. The creation of digital teaching media and concepts in the chemical context requires resources that should not be underestimated.

For successful science communication, students should not only acquire sound specialist knowledge but also be able to convey facts in a way that is adapted to the respective target group and also take into account the social significance of the respective topic. It is therefore advisable to make more references to social issues and aspects of everyday life in the respective courses. This networking of factual topics with the social context sensitizes the students to possible problems and solutions through chemistry and promotes fact-oriented communication.

For decades, interdisciplinary study commissions of the GDCh have been developing recommendations for the ?basic course in chemistry?. While the focus at the end of the 1990s was on the successful conversion of diploma courses to bachelor's and master's courses, today it is a matter of regularly adapting the bachelor's course to current developments and keeping it future-proof. The current GDCh Study Commission also includes members of the Conference of the Departments of Chemistry (KFC), the GDCh Association of German University Professors of Chemistry (ADUC), the Bunsen Society for Physical Chemistry (DBG), Dechema, the Chemical Association Industry (VCI), the Theoretical Chemistry working group, the GDCh-JungChemikerForum (JCF) and the Divisions of the GDCh.

The "Recommendations of the GDCh study commission for the bachelor's degree in chemistry at universities" are available at www.gdch.de/downloads.

With around 30,000 members, the German Chemical Society (GDCh) is one of the largest chemical science societies in the world. It promotes scientific work, research and teaching as well as the exchange and dissemination of new scientific knowledge, also through transdisciplinary and international cooperation. Furthermore, the GDCh is committed to modern training and further education in schools, universities and in the professional environment.

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18 Gernot Frenking receives the Erich Hückel Award

Using quantum chemical methods to solve current problems in chemistry

18/21
September 14, 2021

The German Chemical Society (GDCh) honors Professor Dr. Gernot Frenking, Philipps University of Marburg, with the Erich Hückel Award. The chemist receives the award, which is endowed with 7,500 euros, for his outstanding contributions to solving current problems in chemistry through the use of modern, quantum chemical methods. The award ceremony will take place on September 22, 2021 as part of the Online conference "57th Symposium on Theoretical Chemistry".

In his research, Frenking focuses on bonding theory, in particular on compounds with unusual bonds. Furthermore, the theoretical chemist deals with the structures and properties of transition metal complexes and main group compounds. Here he focuses on quantum chemical calculations, with which he builds a bridge between physical bond formation and the heuristic model of experimental chemistry. For this he uses, among other things, methods of energy binding analysis in order to enable a quantitative determination of the proportions of covalent electrostatic interactions in the existing chemical bond. These methods thus allow a physically well-founded description of the classical chemical bonding model.

Gernot Frenking studied chemistry at the RWTH Aachen University. After a two-year research stay with Professor Kenichi Fukui in Kyoto, Japan, he moved to the Technical University of Berlin, where he received his doctorate in 1979 and his habilitation in 1984. Following further research stays at the University of California, Berkeley, and at the Stanford Research Institute (SRI International) in Menlo Park, California, USA, Frenking was appointed to the Philipps University of Marburg in 1990. Since 2014 he has continued to conduct research as emeritus professor in Marburg and for several months a year at the Donostia International Physics Center (DIPC) in San Sebastian, Spain, and at Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing, China.

With the Erich Hückel Award , the GDCh honors outstanding work in the field of theoretical chemistry. The award is named after the German chemist and physicist Erich Hückel (1896 ? 1980), who is considered a pioneer of quantum chemistry. The Hückel molecular orbital method (HMO theory), the Hückel rules that define the aromatic state, and the Debye-Hückel theory from electrochemistry bear his name.

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17 Bundestag election 2021: survey of the parties on science policy

17/21
September 6, 2021

In the run-up to the Bundestag elections, the major mathematical and scientific specialist societies submitted so-called ?election touchstones? to all parties represented in the German Bundestag. This joint action is intended to document the basic scientific policy ideas of the respective parties. The answers of the parties can be read on the joint Internet portal of the associations: https://wissenschaft-verbindet.de/gemeinsame-aktivitaeten/wahlpruefsteine/2021

Scientific findings are one of the basic requirements for meeting the challenges of the future. Science provides the facts, while politics provides the framework. A federal election is therefore always a change of direction in terms of research and education.

Therefore, the umbrella organization for geosciences (DVGeo), the German Mathematical Association (DMV), the German Physical Society (DPG), the German Chemical Society (GDCh) and the Association of Biology, Biosciences and Biomedicine in Germany (VBIO) have united the parties Questionnaires, so-called "choice touchstones", are presented, in which they ask them about their plans on selected topics from research, education, climate protection and the energy transition. The attitude of the parties to scientific findings and research funding in Germany and the EU was also surveyed. All parties currently represented in the German Bundestag were asked to participate.

The professional societies want to give their more than 130,000 members a tool to find out about the science-political approaches of the parties to be elected. The large mathematical and scientific specialist societies deliberately refrain from commenting, because the "election touchstones" are not intended to be an election recommendation, but rather enable the members to incorporate the scientific-political ideas of the individual parties into their voting decision if they wish.

Further information is available from the participating professional societies:

Umbrella Association of Geosciences (DVGeo):
Tamara Fahry-Seelig, Managing Director, phone: 030-889140 8981, email: fahry-seelig@dvgeo.org

German Mathematicians Association (DMV):
Thomas Vogt, press office, phone: 030-83875657, email: presse@mathematik.de

German Physical Society (DPG):
Gerhard Samulat, press office, phone: 02224-923233, e-mail: presse@dpg-physik.de

German Chemical Society (GDCh):
dr Karin J. Schmitz, Head of public relations, Tel.: 069-7917493, Email: pr@gdch.de

Association of Biology, Life Sciences and Biomedicine in Germany (VBIO):
dr Kerstin Elbing, Science & Society Department, Tel.: 030-27891916, email: elbing@vbio.de

GDCh members read a summary in the current issue of Nachrichten aus der Chemie.

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16 awards for food chemists

Online festival session at the 49th German Food Chemists' Day

16/21
August 31, 2021

The Society of Food Chemistry - organizer of the Conference and largest Division in the German Chemical Society (GDCh) - today presented its specialist group prizes 2021 to outstanding young scientists as part of a virtual celebratory meeting that was held for the first time.

The celebratory session was chaired by the chairman of the Food Chemical Society, Professor Dr. Gerd Hamscher, Justus Liebig University Gießen. Afterwards, Hans-Joachim Fuchtel, Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Minister of Food and Agriculture, and Dr. Heinrich Bottermann, State Secretary in the Ministry for the Environment, Agriculture, Nature Conservation and Consumer Protection, Düsseldorf, video messages to those present before the awards were presented.

Parliamentary State Secretary Hans-Joachim Fuchtel emphasized the importance of food chemistry for consumer health protection: ?They help ensure that we can all eat carefree and enjoy food of the highest quality. As our current nutrition report shows, 83 percent of those surveyed trust in the safety of food in Germany. The increase of nine percentage points compared to the previous year is a clear sign of trust and appreciation in your work.?

With the Werner Baltes Award of the Young Scientist , Dr. habil. Claudia Oellig, University of Hohenheim. The food chemist develops highly sensitive analytical (screening) methods for determining toxicologically relevant food ingredients using high-performance thin-layer chromatography and the planar solid-phase extraction she developed based on this.

dr Alexander M. Voigt, University of Bonn, received the Future Award of the Society of Food Chemistry, donated by Dr. Gunter Fricke, in recognition of his work on examining aqueous matrices for residues of antibiotic substances using LC-MS/MS. With the new multi-method, prevention in human medicine as well as in veterinary medicine and in the production of animal-based foods can be improved under the umbrella of "One Health".

dr Martin Eckardt was awarded the Bruno Rossmann Award for his excellent dissertation "Non-intentionally added substances (NIAS): Assessment of oligomers in food contact materials". The work provides a novel approach to the risk assessment of unintentionally introduced substances that can migrate from food contact materials to the food in large variety.

Further information on the Conference at www.gdch.de/lchtag2021

With around 30,000 members, the GDCh is one of the largest chemical science societies in the world. It has 27 Divisions, including the Society of Food Chemistry, whose task it is to promote the exchange of ideas in the field of food chemistry and its neighboring disciplines and to provide technical suggestions. With over 2700 members, the Society of Food Chemistry is the largest Division in the GDCh.

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15 chemical knowledge in your pocket

The GDCh presents its new app

15/21
August 19, 2021

The German Chemical Society (GDCh) is introducing a new, free chemistry app that can be used to access articles and information from the world of chemistry from anywhere. Right from the start, 7,000 articles about chemistry are available. In the future, the app will also provide a convenient overview of all events and the GDCh's continuing education offerings. In addition, the websites of the GDCh have been revised so that the complete website is now available in English in full and up-to-date on a daily basis.

From generally understandable texts on everyday chemistry to specialist texts, the GDCh.app offers content for everyone interested in chemistry. This is ensured by contributions related to the subject: These can be articles, videos and podcasts from science, business and society. GDCh members also have full access to the members' magazine "Nachrichten aus der Chemie" and the chemical community organized in the GDCh. You can network, make contacts and be informed about news via push notification. In the future, the app will also provide a central overview of GDCh events as well as all training courses and current tenders.

"As a non-profit association, the GDCh's statutory aim is to reach as many people as possible with its content, regardless of their technical requirements, and to get them excited about chemistry," explains GDCh President Professor Dr. Peter R. Schreiner. "With the newly designed app, the GDCh is breaking new ground in order to reach everyone interested in chemistry and at the same time be even closer to its members."

For Android and iOS users, the GDCh.app for smartphones and tablets can be downloaded free of charge from Google Play and the Apple App Store; Desktop users can find (almost) everything on offer in the browser. At https://gdch.app/, the app can be opened on any internet-enabled device with a modern browser - this ranges from smartphones to desktop PCs to smart TVs or games consoles. An installation is not required for this. With this innovative infrastructure, the GDCh can react quickly to new requirements and offer a variety of proven and new digital services. In the future, the app will be updated with new improvements and features from week to week.

In addition, the GDCh has made its extensive website www.gdch.de more international. Well over 1000 websites are now automatically and completely translated into English. If German pages are created or updated, the corresponding English pages are created or adapted within an hour. In this way, the GDCh can better reach foreign guest researchers in Germany and also make its offers accessible to interested parties from all over the world. The GDCh would like to make its contribution to better networking the international chemical community and to promoting scientific exchange across borders.

With around 30,000 members, the German Chemical Society is one of the largest chemical science 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 cooperation and continuous education and training in schools, universities and in the professional environment. The GDCh has 27 Divisions and 60 local sections.

 

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GDCh-Präsident Prof. Dr. Peter R. Schreiner (Foto: K. Friese)

14 Stephan A. Sieber receives new Klaus Grohe Prize

Award for the development of active ingredients against multi-resistant bacteria

14/21
August 17, 2021

professor dr Stephan A. Sieber, Technical University of Munich, is the first to awardee the newly designed Klaus Grohe Prize. He receives the EUR 50,000 prize for his groundbreaking work at the interface between chemistry and biology. The award will be presented on September 2nd by the President of the German Chemical Society (GDCh), Professor Dr. Peter R. Schreiner, as part of the virtual International Symposium on Medicinal Chemistry (EFMC-ISMC 2021).

With new, revolutionary strategies that combine basic research and preclinical development, Sieber is fighting the threat posed by multi-resistant bacteria. Classic antibiotics primarily target a few cellular targets such as cell wall and protein biosynthesis. Sieber, on the other hand, focuses his research on defusing pathogenic bacteria and finding completely new mechanisms of action. Among other things, the scientist has developed a chemical method that inhibits and thus disarms bacteria in their ability to produce toxins (virulence). Another approach enables him to identify new bacterial targets and to develop corresponding chemical inhibitors. This approach has already enabled new active ingredients to be found, some of which are currently being optimized for medical use.

Sieber was born in Marburg in 1976. He studied chemistry at the Philipps University in Marburg, where he also received his doctorate in 2004 after a research stay at Harvard Medical School in Boston, USA. After a post-doctoral stay at the Scripps Research Institute in La Lolla, USA, he began his independent research work at the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität in Munich, which was funded by the DFG's Emmy Noether program. In 2009, Sieber was appointed to the Chair of Organic Chemistry II at the Technical University of Munich. The chemist has already received numerous awards for his research, including Merck's Future Insight Prize in 2020.

The Klaus Grohe Prize goes to the chemist Prof. Dr. Klaus Grohe (*1934), who developed important innovative medicines with great success during his professional career. In 2001, Klaus and Eva Grohe set up 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 realignment 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 to application.

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

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Stephan A. Sieber (© Astrid Eckert, München)

13 How understanding chemical processes makes food safer and better

Food Chemists' Day presents new approaches in analytics

13/21
July 27, 2021

Food quality and consumer protection are the focus of the 49th German Food Chemists' Day from August 30 to September 1, 2021. The Conference of the Food Chemical Society, a Division of the German Chemical Society (GDCh), will take place digitally this year. The program of lectures presents current research and is particularly characterized by its strong relevance to everyday life. Food chemists will show, among other things, new methods for checking the authenticity of edible oils and present molecular insights into different types of beer. Scientific poster sessions, a virtual industrial exhibition and a supporting program - including tastings and a celebratory event with award ceremonies, especially for young scientists - round off the Conference .

Native oils, also known as cold-pressed oils, are particularly important in terms of nutritional physiology, are of higher quality than refined oils and therefore achieve higher market prices. Due to the gentle production, flavors, vitamins and polyunsaturated fatty acids are retained. At the same time, the more complex process only allows a lower yield than hot pressing. For this reason, virgin oils are often the target of food adulteration, where refined oils are labeled as cold-pressed. So far, there is no reliable marker to detect illegal methods, such as the pressing of oils from preheated seeds. Elisabeth Koch, University of Wuppertal, in the working group of Professor Dr. Nils Helge Schebb whether oxylipins, i.e. oxidation products of polyunsaturated fatty acids with oxygen, are suitable as new markers for assessing the processing, storage and quality of edible oils and fats. In her lecture , she will present the concentrations of oxylipins in various edible oils and whether these are influenced by pressing. At the same time, it shows which changes in the oxylipin pattern occur during storage and how these are consistent with the parameters used to date to detect fat spoilage.

The lecture by Stefan A. Pieczonka, Technical University of Munich, is about the taste and color of beer. In the team of Professor Dr. Philippe Schmitt-Kopplin, he studied the Maillard reaction, which leads, among other things, to the formation of flavorings during the preparation of food. It also gives dark beer its characteristic taste and color. Although the chemical reactions of the Maillard reaction have already been intensively studied, they are still not fully understood. Using ultra-high-resolution mass spectrometry (FTICR-MS), the researchers were able to assign unambiguous empirical formulas to thousands of mass signals from beer metabolites, thus enabling the interpretation of the molecular composition of 250 analyzed beer samples. It was shown that the Maillard reaction is one of the driving forces behind the molecular diversity of beer and leads to significant changes in the composition of the beer metabolome. Pieczonka's findings lead to a better understanding of the processes that determine the taste and color of beer. These are of particular interest for brewing process development and quality control in the malt and beer industry.

Other topics at the 49th German Food Chemists' Day include metabolomics - new applications in food monitoring and environmental analysis - undesirable substances in food as well as minerals and trace elements and their influence on the human organism.

Further information on the Conference at www.gdch.de/lchtag2021

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12 Angewandte Chemie Announces Inaugural Group of Advisory Editors, New Practices to Drive Greater Inclusivity

12/21
July 21, 2021

Angewandte Chemie, a leading chemistry journal from the German Chemical Society, announces a new group of Advisory Editors and set of policies and practices to support greater diversity, equity and inclusion, delivering on key commitments made in June 2020.

In the past year, Angewandte Chemie has made strides to foster greater inclusivity through its editorial team and processes. As part of this effort, the journal announces an inaugural group of Advisory Editors, who together constitute the Scientific Advisory Committee. These editors will provide a connection between the scientific community and the journal, helping to shape its scientific profile and providing input on editorial strategy. The Advisory Editors are active research scientists from around the world and will bring their diverse perspectives and experience into decision-making processes at the journal.

"I am excited to be part of the journey and help redefine the role of this chemistry journal in our changing world," said Prof. Martina Stenzel, University of New South Wales, Australia.

"This is an exciting opportunity to share my perspectives and experiences as a researcher, author, and reviewer to facilitate necessary changes at Angewandte Chemie," said Prof. Jianghong Rao, Stanford University, USA.

A new International Advisory Board has also been assembled. The Advisory Board represents a variety of voices from the whole community, including those from industry and academia, as well as both early career and established researchers.

Over the past year, the journal has adopted new editorial guidelines, which better incorporate DE&I principles. These include:

? Adopting new practices to expand reviewer pools and decrease the potential for bias, for example, by prioritizing diversity among peer reviewers.

? Revising procedures for appeals and sharing the new process transparently.

? Helping inform ? and adopt ? Wiley's new author name change policy, which makes it easy for authors to change their name on published research at their own discretion.

? Discontinuing the author profiles and news sections of the journal, recognizing that the profiles did not reflect the variety of success stories across the chemistry community. The journal has now launched a new type of profile focusing on first-time corresponding authors in the journal, with a greater focus on showingcasing diverse voices.

? Raising awareness of DE&I among editors and team members through training and dialogue sessions held by Wiley

? Creating forums for external dialogue on DE&I issues, including a recent event with IUPAC entitled ? Empowering Diversity in Science: Gender in Academia and Publishing ?

? Angewandte Chemie is committed to representing the vibrant, diverse chemistry community that powers our world,? said Prof. Wolfram Koch, Executive Director, German Chemical Society. "The German Chemical Society and the Editorial team look forward to working alongside the Advisory Editors to ensure that we all remain focused in our approach and proactive in our efforts to drive both scientific discovery and greater inclusivity."

Angewandte Chemie is committed to representing the global chemistry community, fostering greater inclusivity, and moving science forward. Efforts to promote inclusivity are ongoing and will be communicated via the journal website.

About GDCh

The German Chemical Society (GDCh, German Chemical Society) has approximately 30,000 members and is one of the largest chemical scientific societies worldwide. It promotes scientific research and teaching as well as the exchange and dissemination of new scientific knowledge. The German Chemical Society supports the creation of networks, the trans-disciplinary and international collaboration and continuous education and training in schools, universities and professional environments. It has 27 divisions and 60 local sections. The German Chemical Society is the publisher of numerous scientific journals - partly in association with Chemistry Europe - and the owner of Angewandte Chemie. Visit us at www.gdch.de

About Wiley

Wiley (NYSE: JWA) is a global leader in research and education, unlocking human potential by enabling discovery, powering education, and shaping workforces. For over 200 years, Wiley has fueled the world's knowledge ecosystem. Today, our high-impact content, platforms, and services help researchers, learners, institutions, and corporations achieve their goals in an ever-changing world. Visit us at Wiley.com, Like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.

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11 GDCh honors Omar M. Yaghi, Herbert Waldmann and Peter H. Seeberger

High awards and top international research for the final of the WiFo 2021

11/21
July 20, 2021

On September 1, 2021, the last day of the Science Forum Chemistry (WiFo), the German Chemical Society (GDCh) will present three of its most prestigious awards. professor dr Omar M. Yaghi, who also gives the final lecture, receives the August Wilhelm von Hofmann Medal. professor dr dr hc Herbert Waldmann is awarded the Liebig commemorative coin Medal. The Emil Fischer Medal is awarded to Professor Dr. Peter H Seeberger. The WiFo program also includes a plenary symposium that shows perspectives for a "green" future, a subsequent panel discussion and further sessions on current research results from chemistry.

With the August Wilhelm von Hofmann Commemorative Medal, the GDCh honors foreign researchers who have made outstanding contributions to chemistry. professor dr Omar M. Yaghi, University of California, Berkeley, CA/USA, receives the awards for his outstanding work on metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and covalent organic frameworks (COFs). In addition, Yaghi pioneered molecular "weaving" and synthesized the world's first material woven at the atomic and molecular level (COF-505). In addition to his scientific achievements, the GDCh also recognizes Yaghi's commitment to promoting young scientists, especially in emerging and developing countries. In the closing lecture of the WiFo at 4 p.m., Yaghi will give an insight into his fascinating research. Omar M. Yaghi received his PhD in chemistry from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA, and was an NSF Postdoctoral Fellow at Harvard University, USA. He is Professor of Chemistry at the University of California, Berkeley, USA, and Senior Faculty Scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Yaghi is founding director of the Berkeley Global Science Institute, which builds research centers in developing countries and nurtures young scientists. He is also co-director of the Kavli Energy NanoSciences Institute and the California Research Alliance by BASF. Yaghi is an elected member of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) and has received numerous awards for his scientific achievements. He has published over 300 articles and is one of the most cited chemists worldwide.

professor dr dr hc Herbert Waldmann, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Physiology, Dortmund, receives the Liebig commemorative coin , endowed with 7500 euros, for the development of new concepts for the production of substance libraries based on natural substances. In addition, the GDCh recognizes his new synthesis methods for the generation of lipidated peptides and proteins for the study of cancer-relevant G proteins such as the Ras/RasG system. Herbert Waldmann completed his studies in chemistry in 1985 with a doctorate from the Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz. After two years at Harvard University, Cambridge, USA, he returned to Mainz, where he completed his habilitation in 1991. After positions at the University of Bonn and the University of Karlsruhe, he has headed the chemical biology department at the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Physiology since 1999 and is also a professor of biochemistry at the Technical University of Dortmund. Since 2005 he has also headed the Chemical Genomics Center of the Max Planck Society. Waldmann is the author of over 500 scientific publications and has received numerous awards. In 2014, the University of Leiden, NL, awarded him an honorary doctorate. Waldmann is a member of various editorial boards of scientific journals and is a member of numerous advisory boards and boards of trustees.

Finally, the GDCh awards Professor Dr. Peter H. Seeberger, Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Potsdam, the Emil Fischer Medal , endowed with 7500 euros, for his pioneering contributions to the synthesis of complex carbohydrates and the chemical biology of carbohydrates, in particular through the development of automated methods. In his work, he was able to elucidate the fundamental mechanisms of the interaction of glycans with other biomolecules. With his syntheses, Seeberger founded the field of "molecular glycobiology", from which novel vaccines, new cholesterol-lowering agents, diagnostics and impulses for materials science emerge. In doing so, he decisively influenced the development of carbohydrate-based vaccines and materials. Peter H. Seeberger studied at the university Erlangen-Nürnberg chemistry and received his doctorate in biochemistry from the University of Colorado Boulder, USA, in 1995. After stays at the Sloan-Kettering Institute for Cancer Research in New York and at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), he became a professor of organic chemistry in 2003 from ETH Zurich and affiliate professor at the Burnham Institute in La Jolla, California.He has headed the "Biomolecular Systems" department at the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces in Potsdam since 2009, is a professor at the Free University of Berlin and has been an honorary professor since 2011 at the University of Potsdam Seeberger is the author of over 590 publications and received numerous awards.

Another highlight of the day is the plenary symposium "Perspectives for a Green Future". professor dr Jean-Paul Lange, University of Twente, Enschede/NL, Dr. Alice Glättli, BASF, Ludwigshafen, and Professor Dr. Michael Kühn, German Research Center for Geosciences and the University of Potsdam, will talk about new developments in relation to low-carbon fuels and chemicals from biomass, the contribution of the resource potential of the geological subsoil to the energy transition and the role of the chemical industry on the way to a sustainable future. In addition to the academic and industrial perspectives, they also address the tension between them. In a subsequent panel discussion on the same topic, the speakers, together with other experts and the plenum, will discuss possible approaches as to how the future can be made ?greener? with the help of chemistry.

Numerous other WiFos sessions deal with current research results from various chemical fields. A session on NFDI4Chem addresses research data management in chemistry. In addition, the GDCh Award for Biocatalysis and the Price for bioconversion of renewable raw materials will be awarded for the first time.

Further information on the Conference at www.wifo2021.de

The GDCh Science Forum Chemistry (WiFo) ? in a nutshell

The GDCh Science Forum Chemistry 2021 will take place online from August 29th to September 1st under the motto "Chemists create solutions". The participants can expect a varied program of plenary lectures, main symposia, a poster and an industrial exhibition. In addition, numerous prestigious prizes are awarded. Registration is possible at www.wifo2021.de.

Press release as a pdf document

Omar M. Yaghi
Herbert Waldmann
Peter H. Seeberger
(© Max-Planck-Institut für Kolloid- und Grenzflächenforschung / David Ausserhofer)
 

10 What can chemistry contribute to the energy supply of the future?

Second day of the GDCh Science Forum Chemistry 2021 with a focus on chemical energy research

10/21
July 13, 2021

How smoothly the necessary energy transition will succeed depends heavily on the current advances in chemical energy research. For this reason, the German Chemical Society (GDCh) is focusing on the contributions of chemistry to the energy supply of the future on the second day of the GDCh Science Forum Chemistry (WiFo) on August 31, 2021. In addition to a prominent plenary symposium entitled "Chemistry for Future Energy Solutions?, further sessions will deal with various aspects of energy storage and conversion. In addition, the GDCh Professor Dr. Stefanie Dehnen, Philipps University of Marburg, for her work in the field of cluster chemistry with the Alfred-Stock Memorial Award .

What can chemistry contribute to the energy supply of tomorrow? This question is shed light on by Professor Dr. Ferdi Schüth, Max Planck Institute for Coal Research, Mülheim ad R., Professor Dr. Bettina V. Lotsch, Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research, Stuttgart, and Dr. Thomas Haas, Evonik, Marl, from different perspectives in the plenary symposium. Together with the plenary session, they venture a look into the future and show what contribution chemical energy research is already making and what is yet to come. Among other things, it is about the role of chemistry (e.g. with hydrogen as an energy carrier) in future energy systems and how the bridge between energy conversion and storage in two-dimensional molecular frameworks can succeed. Another topic is artificial photosynthesis, i.e. how carbon dioxide (CO2) can be converted into glucose or specialty chemicals with the help of electricity from renewable Literature and bacteria.

Following the plenary symposium, the GDCh awards the Alfred-Stock Memorial Award to Professor Dr. Stefanie Dehnen, Philipps University of Marburg. The award, which is endowed with 7500 euros, is given to chemists for outstanding scientific work in the field of inorganic chemistry. Stefanie Dehnen receives the award for her research on cluster chemistry. The GDCh particularly recognizes her work in the field of synthesis, structure elucidation and application of innovative heteronuclear cluster and network compounds, which either consist of purely inorganic components or represent inorganic-organic hybrid compounds.

Stefanie Dehnen completed her studies in chemistry in 1996 at the University of Karlsruhe (KIT) with her doctorate. After postdoctoral research, she habilitated in 2004 in the field of inorganic chemistry. Since 2006 she has been a professor of inorganic chemistry at the Philipps University of Marburg and at the Scientific Center for materials science, of which she was Executive Director from 2012 to 2014. She is currently the Chair of the Wöhler Association for Inorganic Chemistry in the GDCh and has been Vice President of the GDCh since 2020.

Further sessions during the day of the event will focus on research results from various chemical disciplines. In addition to other lectures on energy storage and conversion, which complement the plenary symposium, topics such as fluorine chemistry and other contributions from organic and inorganic chemistry are on the program. In addition, the Senior Expert Chemists (SEC) will hold an exciting session under the motto "No fun without chemistry", the Division of Chemists in Civil Service report on "substances and materials that are safe to use" and in the session "Young Chemists - The Collective" young scientists will present: inside their research.

The job exchange on August 31st, with an accompanying program from August 30th to September 1st, is also aimed at people starting their careers and those willing to make changes. While on Monday the focus will be on job profiles from industry and career coaching for academic careers will be offered, on Tuesday the focus will be on job profiles in the public sector. On Wednesday, a lecture in cooperation with the Association of Employed Academics and Executives in the Chemical Industry (VAA - Executives in the Chemical Industry) will be dedicated to the legal basis of the employment contract. On all three days, there will be an opportunity during the lunch break at a Meet & Mingle table to exchange ideas with experts and to clarify open questions.

Further information on the Conference at www.wifo2021.de

The GDCh Science Forum Chemistry (WiFo) ? in a nutshell

The GDCh Science Forum Chemistry 2021 will take place online from August 29th to September 1st under the motto "Chemists create solutions". The participants can expect a varied program of plenary lectures, main symposia, a poster and an industrial exhibition. In addition, numerous prestigious prizes are awarded. Registration is possible at www.wifo2021.de.

Press release as a pdf document

Stefanie Dehnen
(Foto: Jochen Mogk)

09 No measurable impact of the corona pandemic on starting a career in chemistry in 2020

New statistics for chemistry courses 2020 presents current data on chemistry courses

09/21
July 07, 2021

The corona pandemic did not noticeably affect the entry of chemists into the profession in 2020 compared to previous years. This is shown by the annual statistics for chemistry courses from the German Chemical Society (GDCh). The data on graduates with a doctorate who are looking for a job or employed on a temporary basis correspond to the stable values of recent years. In general, slightly fewer first-year students (9,384) decided to study chemistry last year than in 2019 (9,422 people). The number of students who completed a chemistry degree also fell from 3905 people in the previous year to 3363 in 2020, as did the number of doctorates. It fell from 2181 in 2019 to 2104 in the year under review.

The following results were obtained in the individual courses:

     

  • In the field of chemistry/business chemistry, the universities reported 5,671 first-year students (2019: 5,746). 2037 students (2019: 2605) successfully completed their bachelor's degree, 1956 received their master's degree (2019: 2348). The median duration of study was 6.9 semesters to obtain a bachelor?s degree (2019: 6.7) and 5.0 semesters to obtain a master?s degree (2019: 4.8). In 2020, 1838 people received their doctorate in chemistry/business chemistry (2019: 1921). The median duration of doctoral studies was 8.2 semesters (2019: 8.3).
  • 1852 people started their studies in biochemistry and life sciences (2019: 1702). The number of bachelor?s degrees fell to 745 (2019: 942) and that of master?s degrees to 732 (2019: 834). The number of doctorates increased to 214 in 2020 (2019: 195). The length of study increased slightly, the median was 6.6 semesters for bachelor?s degrees (2019: 6.5), 4.9 semesters for master?s degrees (2019: 4.7) and 8.6 semesters for doctorates (2019: 8.5) .
  • In food chemistry , the number of first-year students rose from 405 in the previous year to 466. A total of 148 students passed the main examination A (1st state examination) or the diploma examination (2019: 164) and 145 people passed the main examination B (2nd state examination). (2019: 165). In addition, the universities reported 144 bachelor's and 110 master's degrees (2019: 169 and 115, respectively). The number of doctorates fell to 52 (2019: 65).
  • At universities of applied sciences (HAW), 1395 people started a chemistry course, significantly fewer than in the previous year (2019: 1569). At the same time, with 731 bachelor?s and 408 master?s degrees, the HAW reported relatively constant figures compared to the previous year (2019: 743 and 421 respectively).

In the sum of the chemistry courses, the number of beginners remained almost unchanged at 9384 (2019: 9422).

98% of all bachelor's graduates at universities and 74% at HAW went on to do a master's degree. Around 87% of master's graduates at universities began a doctorate. This value is still lower than the long-term average (90%).

46% of the graduates in chemistry with a doctorate are aware of the first step into professional life. According to data from the universities, around 38% took up a position in the chemical and pharmaceutical industry (2019: 36%), 19.7% (2019: 18%) took on a temporary position in Germany (including postdoc). 12% worked in the rest of the economy after graduating (2019: 14%) and 11% took a job abroad after graduating (2019: 11%). Around 4% of graduates held a position in the public sector (2019: 6%). At the time of the survey, 10% were considered job seekers (2019: 11%).

The real number of job seekers is likely to be somewhat lower: Due to the key date of the survey on 31.12. Graduates who start their new job in January or February are still recorded as job-seekers. The stable figures for job-seeking and temporary graduates in recent years show that, according to the available data, the corona pandemic has not had a major impact on career entry compared to previous years.

The brochure "Statistics of chemistry courses 2020" is available as a flip catalog at www.gdch.de/statistics.

Press release as a pdf document

Summe der Studienanfänger/-innen in den Chemiestudiengängen
Studiengang Chemie: Bestandene Examina im Diplom-, Bachelor- und Masterstudiengang
Studiengang Chemie: Verbleib der 2020 promovierten Chemiker/-innen
 

08 May Thi Nguyen-Kim receives GDCh award for journalists and writers

First day of the GDCh Science Forum Chemistry 2021 with numerous highlights

08/21
July 06, 2021

The German Chemical Society (GDCh) awards the science journalist Dr. Mai Thi Nguyen-Kim received the GDCh award for journalists and writers 2020 on August 30, 2021. The chemist received the award on the first day of the GDCh Science Forum Chemistry (WiFo) 2021. On the same day, the GDCh Professor Dr. Eva Hevia, University of Bern, the Arfvedson Schlenk Award. A prominent plenary symposium is also dedicated to the question of how future pandemics can be prevented. Further sessions will focus on current research results from various chemical disciplines. In a public evening lecture, the science journalist and astrophysicist Professor Dr. Harald Lesch on an exciting journey into the world of science.

The GDCh award for journalists and writers , endowed with 7,500 euros, honors outstanding journalistic or literary achievements that contribute in a special way to the dissemination of chemical-scientific content in German-speaking countries. dr Mai Thi Nguyen-Kim receives the award, which could not be presented last year due to the pandemic, for her journalistic work, in which she conveys scientific connections with competence and humor. The GDCh particularly appreciates her skilful use of classic and new media formats. With specialist knowledge and enthusiasm, the chemist succeeds in arousing interest in chemistry and the natural sciences in people of all ages.

dr Mai Thi Nguyen-Kim studied chemistry at the Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz. During her doctoral thesis at RWTH Aachen University, Harvard University and the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Polymer Research, she dealt intensively with science communication and, among other things, started her YouTube channel "The Secret Life of Scientists". Nguyen-Kim then built up the multi-award-winning science channel "maiLab" at funk, the Online service of ARD and ZDF. Her video "Corona is just starting" was the most viewed YouTube video in Germany in 2020. On television, the science communicator moderates the science magazine Quarks as Ranga Yogeshwar's successor and appears on political talk shows, the daily topics or the heute journal for scientific enlightenment. Her books "Weird, Everything Chemical" and "The Smallest Common Reality" reached top positions in the Spiegel bestseller list. Nguyen-Kim has received several awards for her work, including the Federal Cross of Merit and Journalist of the Year 2020.

Also on August 30, the GDCh awards the Arfvedson Schlenk Award, which is endowed with 7,500 euros. The prize, which is sponsored by Albermarle Germany GmbH, honors scientists for outstanding work in the field of lithium chemistry. This year's award winner is Professor Dr. Eva Hevia, University of Bern. With her outstanding work, she was able to show that fundamentally important organolithium and lithium amide reactions can also take place without the exclusion of air and that the presence of moisture can even improve the reaction kinetics in some cases. This makes it possible to replace toxic, volatile organic solvents with biorenewable solvents and paves the way for sustainable organolithium chemistry.

professor dr Eva Hevia graduated from the University of Oviedo, Spain, with a PhD in chemistry in 2002. She then moved to the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, United Kingdom, where she held the Chair of Inorganic Chemistry from 2013 to 2019. In 2019 she accepted the call to the University of Bern, Switzerland, where she also holds the Chair of Inorganic Chemistry. She has already received numerous awards for her research, including the Excellence Research Award in Organometallic Chemistry from the Spanish Royal Society of Chemistry in 2019 and the Corday-Morgan Prize from the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) in 2017.

The award ceremonies are embedded in the scientific program of the GDCh Science Forum Chemistry 2021. The morning of the event starts with a brand new plenary symposium. Under the motto "How to Avoid the Next Pandemic - Fighting Infectious Diseases of the Future", Dr. Michael J. Sofia, Arbutus Biopharma, Warminster PA/US, Prof. Dr. Helga Rübsamen-Schaeff, AiCuris, Wuppertal, and Prof. Dr. Stephan A. Sieber, TU Munich, on how to deal with or prevent future pandemics.

At 5:30 p.m., science journalist and astrophysicist Professor Dr. Harald Lesch on an exciting journey to the origins of the chemical elements. His lecture is about where the atoms of the chemical elements that we stand on, breathe, live with, and give us energy come from. After all, are we all made of stardust? Anyone interested can register (regardless of participation in the WiFo) for the public evening lecture. Participation is free. The access data will be announced in good time on the WiFo website.

Numerous other sessions are dedicated to current research results from various chemical disciplines throughout the day of the event. In addition, a poster session offers young scientists the opportunity to present their own research to an international audience and to establish and expand their professional network. The lecture program of the GDCh career service also provides helpful information on starting a career and career planning. At the ChemSlam, a science slam with a focus on chemistry, scientists or chemistry students present chemistry topics in a simple and entertaining way and show how understandable and exciting - maybe even funny - chemistry can be. And a virtual exhibition in which numerous companies and institutions present themselves offers many opportunities for interaction and networking.

Further information on the Conference at www.wifo2021.de

The GDCh Science Forum Chemistry (WiFo) ? in a nutshell
The GDCh Science Forum Chemistry 2021 will take place online from August 29th to September 1st under the motto "Chemists create solutions". The participants can expect a varied program of plenary lectures, main symposia, a poster and an industrial exhibition. In addition, numerous prestigious prizes are awarded. Registration is possible at www.wifo2021.de.

Press release as a pdf document

07 prizes for two outstanding scientists

Awards for Evamarie Hey-Hawkins and Petra Mischnick at the opening of WiFo 2021

07/21
June 29, 2021

As part of the opening ceremony of the GDCh Science Forum Chemistry (WiFo) 2021 on August 29, the German Chemical Society (GDCh) will award two special prizes: Professor Dr. Evamarie Hey-Hawkins, University of Leipzig, receives the renowned Karl Ziegler Award. professor i R Dr Petra Mischnick, TU Braunschweig, is awarded the newly introduced Hildegard Hamm Brücher Award for equal opportunities in chemistry .

The Karl Ziegler Award is one of the most valuable German awards in the field of chemistry. It is named after the founding president of the GDCh and winner of the 1963 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Karl Ziegler. It is awarded to scientists who work in Karl Ziegler's research areas. These are in particular organometallic and inorganic chemistry, organic and Angewandte Chemie, polymer chemistry and catalysis. The award is endowed with 50,000 euros and a gold medal and is funded by a foundation set up by Ziegler's daughter, Marianne Witte, at the GDCh.

In 2021, the Karl Ziegler Award was awarded to Professor Dr. Evamarie Hey-Hawkins, University of Leipzig. The broad field of research of the nationally and internationally highly regarded chemist shows great parallels with that of Karl Ziegler. Her research includes organophosphorus chemistry, biologically active boron and transition metal compounds, heterometallic transition metal complexes and catalysis. Hey-Hawkins is considered a pioneer in the field of reactive transition metal-phosphorus bonds in metal phosphanido complexes and impresses with innovative research approaches. A large number of patents are based on their scientific achievements. The scientist is also very committed to the chemical community.

Evamarie Hey-Hawkins received her doctorate in 1983 from the Philipps University in Marburg. After postdoctoral stays in Great Britain and Australia, she completed her habilitation in Marburg in 1988. After working at the Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research in Stuttgart and as a Heisenberg fellow at the University of Karlsruhe, she accepted a professorship at the University of Leipzig in 1993. Hey-Hawkins is a full professor of inorganic chemistry there and also serves as executive director of the institute for inorganic chemistry and (pro-)dean of the faculty of chemistry and mineralogy.

The chemist has already received numerous honors for her scientific achievements and commitment, such as the award as "Distinguished Woman" (IUPAC), the Order of Merit of the Free State of Saxony, the University Medal of the University of Leipzig and the Leipzig Science Prize. In 2018 Hey-Hawkins was inducted into the European Academy of Sciences. Her international reputation is also reflected in numerous guest professorships and guest grants, including in New Zealand, Australia and Japan.

The chemist is also involved in numerous editorial boards, award committees and various organizations such as the DFG and the Leibniz Association. She has been a member of the GDCh since 1983 and was a member of the Board from 2016-2019. Today she is chairwoman of the GDCh's Working Group Phosphorus Chemistry chemistry working group, which she co-founded.

For the first time, the GDCh awards the Hildegard Hamm Brücher Award for equal opportunities in chemistry. With the new prize, which is endowed with 7500 euros, the GDCh wants to set a visible sign and honor exemplary commitment to equal opportunities in chemistry. Hildegard Hamm-Brücher (1921-2016) was a chemist and received her doctorate in 1945 from Nobel Prize winner Professor Heinrich Wieland in Munich. After the end of the war she became science editor at the Neue Zeitung. There she met Theodor Heuss, her political mentor, and many other democratically minded people. Hildegard Hamm-Brücher was considered the "grande dame" of German post-war politics. It not only stood for freedom and democracy, but also for consistently value-based action. She tirelessly fought against grievances. Among other things, she campaigned for a better education system and encouraged women to get more involved. In 1994 she was the first woman to be nominated for the Federal Presidential election. In addition to her public offices, she showed great social commitment and received numerous honors.

As the first prizewinner, Professor Dr. Petra Mischnick the award. Above all, the selection committee honored the Agnes Pockels student laboratory at the TU Braunschweig, which was initiated by Petra Mischnick in 2002. The project was one of the first of its kind and, with its role model character, had a wide impact - there are now over 200 student laboratories throughout Germany. In the project, students of different ages and social backgrounds are equally encouraged and their interest in the MINT subjects is aroused. The Agnes Pockels student laboratory not only offers students a place where they can experiment under laboratory conditions. Since 2003, Petra Mischnick's team has also developed more than 70 experiments from various subject areas that children and young people can carry out in day care centers or schools. In addition, experiment kits on exciting topics (e.g. "On the trail of the perpetrator") are lent out and further training courses are offered for educators and teachers .

But Petra Mischnick is also known for her many years of commitment to equal opportunities beyond the Agnes Pockels school laboratory. She was one of the pioneers who made equal rights a central topic in the GDCh and was a founding member and first chair of the Equal Opportunities in Chemistry Working Group (AKCC) in 2000. Mischnick is still committed to equality today and shows a consistency in her attitude, her tireless commitment and her lived values, which also distinguished Hildegard Hamm-Brücher.

In 1981, Petra Mischnick passed the 1st state examination in food chemistry at the Technical University of Braunschweig. After a practical year in Lübeck, she passed the 2nd state examination in Hamburg in 1983. She received her doctorate from the university there in 1987 and habilitated in 1996 in the field of organic chemistry. Two years later she was appointed to the Institute for food chemistry at the Technical University of Braunschweig, where she worked until her retirement in March 2020. From 2003 to 2007 she was a member of the board and executive committee of the German Chemical Society and from 2005 to 2006 she was vice president.

Both award ceremonies will take place during the opening of the WiFo, on August 29th at 7 p.m., after the welcome by GDCh President Professor Dr. Peter R. Schreiner. They only mark the beginning of many other highlights and award ceremonies that the virtual WiFo 2021 has in store.

Further information on the Conference at www.wifo2021.de

The GDCh Science Forum Chemistry (WiFo) ? in a nutshell
The GDCh Science Forum Chemistry 2021 will take place online from August 29th to September 1st under the motto "Chemists create solutions". The participants can expect a varied program of plenary lectures, main symposia, a poster and an industrial exhibition. In addition, numerous prestigious prizes are awarded. Registration is possible at www.wifo2021.de.

Press release as a pdf document

06 Surfactants with regional vegetable oils for sustainable household and personal care products

Meyer-Galow Award for Business Chemistry Chemistry 2020 goes to Edgar Endlein

06/21
June 22, 2021

dr Edgar Endlein, Executive Director Research & Development, Werner & Mertz GmbH, Mainz, will receive the Meyer-Galow Award for Business Chemistry Chemistry 2020 on July 7, 2021. The prize, awarded by the foundation of the same name, which is part of the German Chemical Society (GDCh). endowed with 10,000 euros. It is awarded for the market launch of an innovation in chemistry that has particular value for society, particularly in terms of sustainability. For years, Edgar Endlein has been successfully involved in the conversion of surfactants based on regional European vegetable oils into sustainable household and body care products and their market launch. The award ceremony will take place during a virtual ceremony and will be presented by Prof. Dr. Peter R. Schreiner, President of the GDCh.

For sustainable use of limited resources, renewable materials and regenerative energy must increasingly be used. Biodiversity must also be respected and preserved in order to preserve it for future generations. Against this background, washing-active substances, so-called surfactants, in detergents, cleaning agents and cleaning personal care products should be biodegradable, have the best possible (eco-)toxicological profile, be plant-based and agricultural cultivation and logistics should have the lowest possible environmental impact. Renewable vegetable oils are therefore increasingly being used for the production of surfactants. However, many of the vegetable oils used do not come from biodiverse Literature, but are based on palm kernel oil or coconut oil.

The use of regional European vegetable oils would lead to greater diversity. However, such oil plants have a different composition than tropical ones: the carbon chain of the triglycerides of European oilseeds is generally longer and, depending on the plant species, the fatty acids contained are more or less unsaturated. Both have an influence on the chemical reactivity and the application properties. For this reason, additional research and development effort is necessary in order to use such surfactants based on oil plants from the temperate climate zone in formulations of household and personal care products.

Dr. Edgar Endlein accepted. The sugar surfactants used, for example based on sunflower oil, are made up almost entirely of renewable carbon. Just like those based on rapeseed oil, they are also extremely mild and skin-friendly, can form stable foams and show strong emulsifying properties. Thanks to his innovative and future-oriented thinking and actions, the awardee has been able to successfully use surfactants based on regional European vegetable oils in Frosch brand detergents and cleaning agents in recent years. Its development and its market launch have a special value for society, especially in terms of sustainability.

About the event:

The award ceremony will take place as part of an Online ceremony on July 7, 2021 at 11 a.m. GDCh President Prof. Dr. Peter R. Schreiner will present the award to Dr. Edgar Endlein , who will briefly present the award-winning project. Originally, the Meyer Galow Prize was always awarded at the end of the year. However, since this was not possible in 2020, the award ceremony will now be rescheduled.

Media representatives are cordially invited to the Online ceremony. Interviews are possible by appointment.

Press release as a pdf document

05 GDCh Science Forum Chemistry digital for the first time

The most important chemistry congress in the German-speaking region presents cutting-edge international research

05/21
May 25, 2021

The GDCh Science Forum Chemistry (WiFo) 2021 will take place from August 29 to September 1, completely online for the first time due to the pandemic. The German Chemical Society (GDCh) organizes the most important chemistry congress in the German-speaking region, usually with more than 2,000 participants from Germany and abroad. The scientific program includes top international research on socially relevant "megatopics" such as infection research, energy, sustainability and climate research. Numerous symposia are also dedicated to different specialist areas of chemistry. In addition, some of the GDCh's most prestigious prizes are awarded - including the Karl Ziegler Award , which is endowed with 50,000 euros, and the newly introduced Hildegard Hamm Brücher Award for equal opportunities in chemistry. A poster exhibition and a job exchange enable young scientists in particular to present themselves in a year with few events. In addition, the digital conference platform offers excellent opportunities to expand personal networks.

Infection research, energy, sustainability and climate research - these topics pose new, urgent challenges for science worldwide. The GDCh Science Forum Chemistry, which will take place in 2021 under the motto "Chemists create solutions", will show what contribution chemistry can make to solving global problems. In daily plenary symposiums, scientific luminaries present how pandemics can be fought in the future, how chemistry can contribute to the energy of the future and how it can support and advance sustainable developments. Numerous symposia of the GDCh Divisions also provide insight into current scientific developments and findings from the world of chemistry.

"Our next WiFo will not only be digital, but also much more international than previous science forums," emphasizes GDCh President Professor Dr. Peter R. Schreiner. "Most scientific lectures will be held in English and the digital event makes it easier for interested parties from all over the world to take part in the WiFo." The GDCh therefore expects a significantly higher number of international scientists than in previous WiFos.

At the ceremonial opening of the WiFo on August 29, the Karl Ziegler Award will be awarded ? with prize money of 50,000 euros, it is one of the most highly endowed German chemistry prizes. As a further highlight, the Hildegard Hamm Brücher Award for equal opportunities in chemistry will be awarded for the first time. With the new prize, the GDCh honors individuals, teams or organizations that are committed to innovative projects for equal opportunities in chemistry.

In addition to the scientific program, the WiFo 2021 also offers numerous opportunities for networking - not a matter of course for an Online conference. The digital conference platform, which has already been tried and tested several times, offers participants direct (video) chat functions as well as so-called "Meet & Mingle" rooms, which enable (video) chats in groups. Direct networking and exchange of contact data is also possible. Thanks to this strong social component, contacts can be made during the coffee breaks - almost like at a face-to-face event. In addition, a poster exhibition, a job exchange and a virtual exhibition in which numerous companies and institutions present themselves offer many opportunities for interaction and networking. Young scientists in particular also benefit from this: There are good opportunities to present your own research to an international audience and to establish and expand your professional network at favorable participation conditions.

Further information on the Conference at www.wifo2021.de

The GDCh Science Forum Chemistry (WiFo) ? in a nutshell

The GDCh Science Forum Chemistry 2021 will take place online from August 29th to September 1st under the motto "Chemists create solutions". The participants can expect a varied program of plenary lectures, main symposia, a poster and an industrial exhibition. In addition, numerous prestigious prizes are awarded. Registration is possible from May 25 at www.wifo2021.de.

Press release as a pdf document

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GDCh-Präsident Prof. Dr. Peter R. Schreiner
(Foto: K. Friese)

04 Paul Bunge Prize 2021 goes to Liba C. Taub

Awards at the 2021 Bunsen Conference

04/21
April 27, 2021

As part of the Bunsen Conference 2021, which will take place virtually from May 10th to 12th this year, Professor Liba C. Taub, University of Cambridge, UK, will receive the Paul Bunge Prize 2021 in recognition of her outstanding contributions to the history of scientific instruments. The prize of the Hans-R.-Jenemann-Foundation is endowed with 7,500 euros and is awarded jointly by the German Chemical Society (GDCh) and the German Bunsen Society for Physical Chemistry (DBG). It honors outstanding work on the history of scientific instruments. The presentation of the Paul Bunge Prize 2020 to Professor Simon Werrett, University College London, UK, will also be made up for at the Conference .

US Professor Liba C. Taub, University of Cambridge, UK, receives the Paul Bunge Prize in recognition of her outstanding contributions to the history of scientific instruments. Taub studied history of science at the University of Oklahoma and received her doctorate in 1987. Her research focuses on ancient Greek and Roman astronomy, physics and meteorology, and the history of scientific instruments. From 1991 to 1994, the science historian worked at the Adler Planetarium and Astronomical Museum in Chicago (USA) as curator and head of the department for the history of astronomy. Since 1995 she has been director and curator of the Whipple Museum of the History of Science in Cambridge (UK), dedicated to the history of science, including the collection and display of scientific instruments. She also teaches history and philosophy of science at Newnham College of the University of Cambridge and can look back on numerous scientific publications in anthologies and journals .

Her professional career previously included stations at universities in the USA, the Netherlands and Switzerland, the Deutsches Museum in Munich and the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden. From 2010 to 2014 she was a member of the interdisciplinary research network Excellence Cluster Topoi, funded by the Einstein Foundation in Berlin. In this context, she dealt extensively with early scientific records and thereby contributed to the development and research of ancient forms of science communication.

Taub has received several scientific awards and is an elected member of numerous scientific associations. She has been Vice President of the Académie Internationale d'Histoire des Sciences since 2017.

The Paul Bunge Prize will be awarded to Liba C. Taub at the 120th Annual General Meeting of the German Bunsen Society for Physical Chemistry (DBG), the Bunsen Conference 2021, which will take place virtually from May 10th to 12th. The 2020 Paul Bunge Prize will also be presented to Professor Simon Conference , University College London. Last year, the 119th Bunsen Conference had to be canceled at short notice and the award ceremony had to be postponed.

Further information on the Conference at www.bunsentagung.de

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Liba C. Taub erhält den Paul-Bunge-Preis 2021
Simon Werrett erhält den Paul-Bunge-Preis 2020

03 Ars legendi Faculty Prize for Mathematics and Natural Sciences 2021 recognizes good teaching in times of a pandemic

03/21
March 23, 2021

This year, the Ars legendi faculty prize for excellent university teaching teaching in mathematics and the natural sciences goes to Katrin Meyer from the Georg-August University in Göttingen (biology), Olalla Vázquez from the Philipps University in Marburg (chemistry), Brigitte Forster-Heinlein from the University of Passau (mathematics) and to Christian Hoffmann from the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Technology at Saarland University (physics).

The Ars legendi Faculty Prize for Mathematics and Natural Sciences honors scientists for outstanding, innovative and exemplary achievements in teaching, advice and support. The prize is awarded by the Stifterverband, the Association of Biology, Life Sciences and Biomedicine in Germany, the German Chemical Society, the German Association of Mathematicians and the German Physical Society.

The prize is endowed with 5,000 euros each and has been awarded annually since 2014 in the categories of biology, chemistry, mathematics and physics .

The awardee were selected by a jury made up of students and teachers of the individual subjects and representatives of university didactics. She awarded the Ars legendi Faculty Prize for Mathematics and Natural Sciences 2021 to the following professors:

In the Biology category

dr re. of course Katrin Meyer from the Faculty of Forest Sciences and Forest Ecology at the Georg-August-Universität Göttingen was able to convince the jury with her concept "Experience theory". Even before the corona pandemic, she developed an attractive Online course that deliberately focuses on the theoretical foundations of ecology, which are often only treated cursorily. Your interactive "theory experiences" impart both methodological competence as well as technical and social skills. The jury was impressed by her very interactive approach, the meta-team concept and the differentiation of tasks according to performance levels.

In the chemistry category

Prof. Dr. Olalla Vázquez, Professor of chemical biology at the Philipps University of Marburg, won over the jury with a teaching concept that focuses on the realistic and comprehensive teaching of the scientific process. With courses whose content and design are consistently based on current research, it prepares students for research activities. She attaches particular importance to imparting broad methodological knowledge, presentation experience, active learning and personal responsibility.

In the mathematics category

Prof. Dr. Brigitte Forster-Heinlein, Professor of Applied Mathematics at the University of Passau, fascinated the jury with the construction of a hands-on math museum. Its central exhibits are based on final theses by mathematics students from the faculty, who not only use them to prove their professional competence, but also to train their communication skills. The fact that the graduates work closely with students and the fact that their final thesis will then be publicly accessible provides additional motivation for the students.

In the physics category

dr re. of course Christian Hoffmann from the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Technology at Saarland University impressed the jury with his interdisciplinary events for students of physics, engineering and law. It combines theory and experiment in an excellent way in a variety of events that are characterized by interactivity. In addition to high professional standards, he attaches great importance to teaching IT skills according to the principle of "mastering instead of operating".

award ceremony

The Ars Legendi Faculty Prize for Mathematics and Natural Sciences will be presented in June this year as part of an Online event. Since the award ceremony for 2020 had to be canceled due to the pandemic, the award awardee of the past year are also to be honored at the Online event. The date of the event will be announced in good time.

Further information

Information on the Ars legendi Faculty Prize for Mathematics and Natural Sciences can be found at stifterverband.org/ars-legendi-mn

contact person

Press contact VBIO:
dr Kerstin Elbing, phone: (030) 27891916, email: elbing@vbio.de

Press contact Stifterverband:
Peggy Groß, Tel.: (030) 322982-530 Email: peggy.gross@stifterverband.de

Press release as PDF document

 

02 With the avatar on the coffee break

23rd spring symposium of the JungChemikerForum with a special virtual concept

02/21
March 2, 2021

From March 29th to April 1st, the 23rd spring symposium of the Young Chemists Forum (JCF) of the German Chemical Society (GDCh) will take place online. The event, which is being jointly organized this year by the JCF regional forums in Berlin, Dresden, Halle and Leipzig, uses the possibilities of a virtual format in an exemplary manner. In addition to a varied program with top-class speakers, the Carl Roth Promotion Prize 2020 will be awarded to Maximilian Benz, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) as part of the Online conference.

Strolling through a virtual conference area with a self-designed avatar and talking to others: The 23rd JCF Spring Symposium offers this opportunity. The young chemists came up with something special for the virtual conference location: an interface was created for the spring symposium that resembles a classic conference location. There the participants can move with their avatars and interact with each other by networking via video chats. The social component is not neglected either. Lectures and workshops will be broadcast via video conferencing tools. Another major advantage of the virtual format is its inclusivity: people who would not have been able to travel a long way or be away from home for four days can take part in the spring symposium with very little effort.

This year's event has the motto "United in Chemistry" and is dedicated to diversity. Because despite all the differences in interests, research focus, origin or gender, all participants are connected through chemistry. The conference takes place half-days on four afternoons and partly in the evenings to make it easier for people with families to participate. In addition to the scientific core program with top-class speakers such as Sir Martyn Poliakoff and Polly Arnold, digital workshops are offered and the industry also uses various formats to present itself digitally.

During the event, Maximilian Benz, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), will be awarded the 2020 Carl-Roth Award Prize. The GDCh awards the prize, which is worth 5,000 euros, to young chemists who develop resource-saving synthetic 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. Benz is honored for the development of the "chemBIOS" technology, which uses numerous nanodroplets as a reaction chamber to achieve the fastest conversions with low material consumption. This promising innovation in the development of drugs has already been described in a proof-of-concept study in "Nature Communications". released.

Further information on the Conference at www.jcf-fruehjahrssymposium.de.

Press release as a pdf document.

Maximilian Benz

01 Presentation of the Carl Duisberg Memorial Prize and the Gmelin-Beilstein commemorative coin

Felix Schacher and Guillermo Restrepo are awarded at the Virtual Chemiedozententagung 2021

01/21
February 25, 2021

The Chemiedozententagung 2021 will take place from March 15th to 17th - this year for the first time virtually. The Association of German University Professors of Chemistry (ADUC) of the German Chemical Society (GDCh) invites university teachers from the faculties of chemistry from Germany and neighboring countries to the Online conference. After the Conference had to be canceled at short notice last year, the Carl Duisberg Memorial Prize will be awarded to Felix Schacher and the Gmelin-Beilstein commemorative coin to Guillermo Restrepo this year. The ADUC itself honors a total of six young scientists.

dr Guillermo Restrepo, Max Planck Institute for Mathematics in the Natural Sciences (MiS), Leipzig, receives the Gmelin-Beilstein commemorative coin Medal 2020. With this, the GDCh honors his interdisciplinary research, which combines mathematics, history and philosophy of chemistry and thus leads to new insights leads. The Gmelin-Beilstein commemorative coin Medal, worth 7,500 euros, is awarded to national and international personalities who have made special contributions to the history of chemistry, chemical literature or chemical information. Guillermo Restrepo uses computational and mathematical tools to address historical and sociological questions in chemistry. For example, through his research he was able to show the exponential growth in the number of chemical compounds over the past two hundred years and the effects of the world wars on chemical production. Restrepo's methods are important additions to the traditional approaches to studying the history of chemistry and provide highly innovative approaches to understanding the history of chemistry.

Guillermo Restrepo was born in 1976 in Bogota, Colombia. After studying chemistry at the Universidad Industrial de Santander in Bucaramanga, Colombia, he received his doctorate in 2008 from the University of Bayreuth with distinction. After further positions at the Universidad de Pamplona, Pamplona, Colombia, at the University of Bayreuth, at Texas A&M University, Galveston, USA, and the University of Leipzig, he has been doing research at the Max Planck Institute for Mathematics in the Natural Sciences in Leipzig since 2017 .

Also as part of the Online conference, Professor Dr. Felix H. Schacher, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, the Carl-Duisberg Memorial Award 2020. The award serves to promote young academics in chemistry and is endowed with a total of 7500 euros. It is awarded to people who work at a German university or as Germans at a foreign university, do not yet hold a C4/W3 or comparable position and have not exceeded the age of 40. With the award, the GDCh recognizes, among other things, Schacher's groundbreaking work in the field of polyampholytes and polyelectrolytes. Even as a young scientist, the awardee is one of the world's leading polymer scientists and successfully implements innovative concepts. At the time of the nomination in 2019, the then 38-year-old already had 150 peer-reviewed publications that were cited more than 5,100 times.

Felix H. Schacher was born in 1980 and studied chemistry at the Universities of Bayreuth and Lund, Sweden. In 2009 he received his doctorate in Bayreuth with distinction. After research stays at the University of Bristol, Great Britain, and at the Kyoto Institute of Technology, Japan, Schacher moved to the University of Jena in 2010. In addition to his diverse research initiatives, he has held the position of Dean of Studies at the Chemical and Geosciences Faculty there since 2016.

In addition, the ADUC is honoring three young scientists from different areas of chemistry for establishing an independent research area for 2021. For 2021, Dr. Robert Goestl, Dr. Christian Sindlinger and Ass. Prof. Dr. Vera Krewald awarded. The 2020 awardee , Dr. Urs Gelrich, Dr. habil. Crispin Lichtenberg and Dr. Jannika Lauth, are represented at the Conference with lectures.

Further information on the Conference at www.gdch.de/cdt2021.

With around 30,000 members, the German Chemical Society (GDCh) is one of the largest chemical science societies in the world. It has 27 Divisions and awards numerous prizes for special achievements in chemical research. The traditional Association of German University Professors of Chemistry (ADUC) , which is based at the GDCh, awards up to three junior research group leaders (post-doctoral candidates, scholarship holders or junior professors) every year for establishing an independent research area.

Image material for download:

Professor Dr. Felix Schacher erhält den Carl-Duisberg-Gedächtnispreis.
Die GDCh verleiht die Gmelin-Beilstein-Denkmünze an Dr. Guillermo Restrepo.

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