The German Chemical Society (GDCh) awards the Drs. Volker and Elke Münch Prize to the teams led by Professor Dr. Sebastian Hasenstab-Riedel and Professor Dr. Rainer Haag from the Free University of Berlin. The prize from the foundation of the same name, which is based at the GDCh, is endowed with 7,000 euros and is awarded to inventors who have made a groundbreaking invention in the field of chemistry or chemical process engineering. The prize money will be used to support a patent application. The research teams at the FU Berlin developed a resource-saving and environmentally friendly process to adsorb chlorine from a residual gas stream containing chlorine. You will receive the award as part of the JCF spring symposium from March 13th to 16th, 2024 in Ulm.
Chlorine is one of the most important basic chemicals in the chemical industry. Around 50 percent of all industrial chemicals, 30 percent of all agricultural chemicals and 20 percent of all pharmaceuticals require chlorine for production. In 2022, approximately 96 million tons of chlorine were produced worldwide (primarily through chlor-alkali electrolysis). The production of chlorine is one of the most energy-intensive processes in the chemical industry. In Germany alone, chlorine production requires 12 million megawatt hours, around 2.3 percent of the electrical energy produced in Germany.
This is where the FU researchers' invention comes in, with which elemental chlorine is reversibly adsorbed with the help of polymers, thus enabling selective chlorine storage. The polymer-based chlorine adsorbers developed offer great potential for the safe and easy adsorption, storage and conversion of chlorine gas from, for example, residual gas streams. In the future, the process could make chlorine production more efficient, more environmentally friendly and more resource-saving. The scientists are currently also looking at other possible applications.
Sebastian Hasenstab-Riedel heads the halogen chemistry working group at the Free University of Berlin. Hasenstab-Riedel has been the spokesman for the Collaborative Research Center 1349 “Fluorine-Specific Interactions” since 2019. He has been an active GDCh member since 2001 and is currently active on the Board of the AG fluorine chemistry and the Wöhler Association for Inorganic Chemistry of the GDCh. He has already received numerous awards for his research. For example, Hasenstab-Riedel received a Consolidator Grant from the European Research Council in 2019 and has held an Einstein Professorship at the Einstein Foundation Berlin since 2021. In 2023 he received the Christel and Herbert W. Roesky Prize from the GDCh and his project ChemSysCon was awarded the Werner Siemens Foundation Research Prize.
Rainer Haag is Professor of Organic and macromolecular chemistry at the Free University of Berlin. His research focuses on biodegradable and sustainable polymer systems, multivalent macromolecules and supramolecular architectures. He has been a member of the GDCh since 1990 and is active there, among other things, in the Association of German University Professors of Chemistry (ADUC) . For example, he was chair of the Chemiedozententagung in 2013 and was involved in the programming of the GDCh's anniversary science forum for chemistry (WiFo) in 2017. Haag has been the spokesman for the Collaborative Research Center 1449 "Dynamic Hydrogels at Biological Interfaces" and the interdisciplinary research building "SupraFAB" since 2021. He has been an elected member of the German Academy of Engineering Sciences (acatech) since 2019. In 2022 he was awarded the prestigious ERC Advanced Grant for the “SupraVir” project and was accepted into the European Academy of Sciences in 2023.
Merlin Kleoff studied chemistry at the Free University of Berlin from 2012 to 2018. In 2021 he received his doctorate in the group of Professor Dr. Philipp Heretsch (FU Berlin) on the development of flow reactors for natural product synthesis. Since 2021 he has been working in the group of Professor Dr. Sebastian Hasenstab-Riedel on new technologies and synthesis methods using chlorine chemistry.
Olaf Wagner received his doctorate at the FU Berlin in 2015 under the supervision of Professor Dr. Rainer Haag in the field of polymer chemistry and during this time he researched self-assembly processes of amphiphilic structures. From 2016 to 2020 he conducted postdoctoral research on 2D materials & polymer-functionalized surfaces for use in adsorption processes. Since 2021, he has been leading research into adsorption processes on functionalized biopolymers and developing sustainable technologies to reduce germs and pollutants in water.
Alejandro Jose Lorente Sánchez is a postdoc in the field of polymer science and organic synthesis at the FU Berlin. He received his doctorate from the University of Potsdam in collaboration with the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Polymer Research (IAP). His research focused on the development of molecular sensors, semiconducting polymers and adsorbent materials. He works on several research projects that focus on the development of porous materials from polymers and biopolymers that find application in the adsorption of pollutants or gases.
The German Chemical Society (GDCh) is one of the largest chemical science societies in the world with around 30,000 members. It has 27 Divisions as well as 60 local sections and regional forums of the JungChemikerForum (JCF). The GDCh promotes scientific work as well as the exchange and dissemination of new scientific findings. It maintains numerous foundations, such as the Drs. Volker and Elke Münch Foundation, which is founded by the couple, Dr. rer. nat Volker Münch and Dr. paed. Elke Münch, founded in 2021 to promote science and research and the patent protection of the results.
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Dr. Dennis Lippmann, President of thyssenkrupp Uhde, Houston/USA, will receive the Meyer-Galow Award for Business Chemistry 2023 on November 29th. The prize from the foundation of the same name is hosted by the German Chemical Society (GDCh) and is endowed with 10,000 euros. Dr. Lippmann and his team have developed and successfully launched a process on the market that can significantly increase the capacity of ammonia plants and improve energy efficiency. The uhde® two-print process avoids risks that arise when scaling up other processes. The awardee receives the award at a ceremony at thyssenkrupp Uhde in Dortmund from GDCh President Professor Dr. Karsten Danielmeier.
Ammonia has long been one of the most widely produced chemicals - especially for fertilizer. Today, the chemical combination of nitrogen and hydrogen is also discussed as an energy source and hydrogen transport medium.
An industrial plant produced up to 2,000 tons of ammonia per day at the turn of the millennium. Simply scaling up such a plant to increase yield is associated with risks, as high-pressure equipment such as the synthesis gas compressor with steam turbine and ammonia reactor would be required on unreferenced scales. The excellent dual-pressure process reduces such risks by shifting the necessary additional performance to less critical equipment. Not only can new systems be built up to 65% larger without increasing the size of critical high-pressure equipment, but existing systems can also be expanded in capacity. The new process also enables a reduction in energy consumption by up to 4%.
GDCh honors the market launch of this process with the Meyer-Galow Award for Business Chemistry . In 2006, the SAFCO-IV plant in Saudi Arabia, the first corresponding plant with a capacity of 3,300 tons per day, went into operation - today there are already five, another is under construction and the next one is being planned. The process uses a fresh gas reactor that is connected between the two housings of the synthesis gas compressor. At 110 bar, nitrogen and hydrogen partially convert into ammonia, which is then frozen and condensed. The remaining synthesis gas is compressed to 200 bar and converted into ammonia in the existing system's circuit. The critical size of the synthesis gas compressor therefore requires less drive power in the dual-pressure process.
The awardee Dr. Dennis Lippmann is CEO and President of thyssenkrupp Uhde in the USA. Before joining in 2015, he worked as Vice President of KBR's Syngas and Fertilizer Division. He previously held various positions at Uhde in Germany and the USA from 1995 to 2013. Dr. Lippmann completed his chemical engineering studies at the Clausthal University of Technology in 1995 with a doctorate.
About the event:
The award ceremony will take place at a ceremony on November 29, 2023 at 6:30 p.m. at thyssenkrupp Uhde in Dortmund. GDCh President Professor Dr. Karsten Danielmeier will award the prize to Dr. Dennis Lippmann, who will briefly present the award-winning project.
The German Chemical Society and thyssenkrupp Uhde GmbH cordially invite representatives of the media to attend this event in Dortmund. Welcome to Professor Dr. Karsten Danielmeier, President of the GDCh, Walter Schön, member of the Managing Directors (Chief HR Officer) of thyssenkrupp Uhde GmbH, and the founder of the prize, Prof. Dr. Erhard Meyer-Galow. Interviews are possible by appointment. Please register at https://www.gdch.de/gdch/stiftungen/meyer-galow-stiftung/preisverleihung-meyer-galow-preis.html.
About the price:
The Meyer-Galow Award for Business 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 sustainability into account. The prize was awarded 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.
The German Chemical Society (GDCh) is one of the largest chemical science societies in the world with around 30,000 members. 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 Economic Chemistry, which supports Professor Dr. Erhard Meyer-Galow founded in 2012 to further promote business chemistry. Further information at www.gdch.de
thyssenkrupp Uhde combines unique technological know-how and decades of global experience in engineering, procurement, construction and service of chemical plants. We develop innovative processes and products for a more sustainable future and thus contribute to the long-term success of our customers in almost all areas of the chemical industry. Our portfolio includes leading technologies for the production of basic chemicals, fertilizers and polymers as well as complete value chains for green hydrogen and sustainable chemicals.
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The continuing education offering of the German Chemical Society (GDCh) for 2024 is now available in the GDCh.academy. Courses on law, quality control, project management and Marketing complement the training on classic chemistry topics such as synthesis, analytics and food chemistry. The courses take place on site, online or as an in-house course in your own company. New courses are “on demand”: Participants can decide for themselves when and how much time they want to invest and can still count on the support of experts at any time.
In the new, flexible “on demand” courses, those interested in further training learn through self-study using the course materials. You decide when to start the course, how many hours per week you study, where you study and how much support you need. You can reach the course leader if you have any questions throughout the course. From now on, “Business Administration for Chemists (m/f/d)” and “Fundamentals of Macromolecular Chemistry I: Synthesis of Polymers” will use the new format.
But there will also be some new training courses added to the regular program in 2024: In the online course “The Wholesale Representative for Animal and Human Medicines”, qualified engineer Jürgen Ortlepp from Pierre Fabre Pharma GmbH/Pierre Fabre Dermo-Kosmetik GmbH explains how to establish quality management systems, is contractually secured and complies with national and EU requirements. By Dr. Barbara Pohl, start-ups, medium-sized companies and research institutions learn how to create, apply and monitor standards for the chemical and pharmaceutical industries in the classroom course “DIN, norms, technical regulations and standards”.
Important for employees in research departments: The bioactive molecules can be identified in mixtures of substances. To this end, Professor Gertrud Morlock from Justus Liebig University Gießen combines assays with chromatography and mass spectrometry in the “Hyphenated HPTLC” course. In two new courses, Professor Dr. Andrea Wanninger from the Niederrhein University of Applied Sciences about surfactants. In the hybrid user course “Development of surfactant products for skin and hair” she explains to product developers what raw materials, recipes and formulations are in current skin and hair care products and how to develop and characterize them. Her online course “Cold production of cosmetic and pharmaceutical emulsions” covers, among other things, which ingredients and recipes improve cold-processed emulsions and what their limitations are.
In addition to many individual courses, there are the tried and tested GDCh specialist programs “Certified Business Chemist (GDCh)® (m/f/d)”, “Certified Quality Expert GxP (GDCh) (m/f/d)” and “Certified Project Manager Business Chemistry GDCh (m/ w/d)”.
Most courses in the GDCh.academy program are also available as in-house courses. If there are four participants or more, it can be worthwhile to hold the course in your own company. The GDCh.academy team also implements new in-house course concepts together with the relevant experts to meet individual needs.
Detailed information on all courses and specialist programs can be found at https://gdch.academy
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 scientific knowledge. The GDCh supports training at school and university as well as continuous training for work and Career.
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The August Wilhelm von Hofmann Foundation, set up at the German Chemical Society (GDCh), is once again awarding scholarships for the 2024 summer semester. From April 2024, bachelor's, diploma or exam students in chemistry and related areas can receive a scholarship of 300 euros per month for a period of 18 or twelve months. Applications must be submitted via the Online portal by February 1, 2024.
Bachelor's, diploma or exam students in chemistry and related fields with very good academic achievements who are in an economically disadvantageous situation can apply for one of around twenty scholarships from the August Wilhelm von Hofmann Foundation. Commitment outside of your studies 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 2024 summer semester. The funding ends at the latest at the end of the sixth semester.
The scholarship cannot be extended. Every year in the winter semester there is a new advertising cycle. The scholarship is not counted towards BAföG benefits, but double funding alongside other performance-based material funding from the gifted funding organizations is excluded.
The August Wilhelm von Hofmann Foundation is named after the first president of the GDCh predecessor organization, the German Chemical Society, founded in 1867. The donor is a long-time GDCh member who died in 2010 and who bequeathed the majority of his assets to the GDCh in order to support talented chemistry students.
Further information at www.gdch.de/hofmannstiftung
The German Chemical Society (GDCh) is one of the largest chemical science societies in the world with around 30,000 members. The GDCh manages numerous dependent foundations as trustees. The purpose of these foundations is to award prizes, sponsorships and scholarships. Foundation advisory boards decide on the awarding of prizes, awards and scholarships.
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Professor Dr. Stefanie Dehnen from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) will become President of the German Chemical Society (GDCh) on January 1, 2024. During her two-year term in office, she would like to further open up the GDCh and advance it on its path to becoming a modern, diverse and internationally oriented specialist society.
Stefanie Dehnen was unanimously elected as the future president at the constitutive meeting of the new GDCh board on September 4, 2023. She succeeds Professor Dr. Karsten Danielmeier, Covestro, who held the office on a rotating basis for two years and is now Deputy President. The Executive Committee is completed by junior professor Dr. Sabine Becker, Rhineland-Palatinate Technical University of Kaiserslautern-Landau, who will also become Deputy President. The new treasurer will be Dr. Franz von Nussbaum, Nuvisan ICB.
The future president already has concrete ideas for her term in office. “For me, the GDCh has the role of a ‘society for society’,” explains Dehnen. “On the one hand, this includes the task of strengthening communication between all groups of people associated with chemistry as well as interaction with non-chemical specialist societies and also providing the general public with important information on chemical issues. On the other hand, this also means that the GDCh is opening up further and becoming even more international, modern, younger and more diverse. We are on the way to a new era - 'Rethinking Chemistry' therefore also means 'Rethinking GDCh'.”
Stefanie Dehnen completed her chemistry studies in 1996 at what was then the University of Karlsruhe, one of the predecessor institutions of KIT, with a doctorate. After a postdoctoral degree in theoretical chemistry, she completed her habilitation in inorganic chemistry in 2004. From 2006 to 2022 she was W3 Professor of Inorganic Chemistry at the Philipps University of Marburg and director of the Scientific Center for materials science (from 2012 to 2014 as executive director). Since 2022 she has been a professor of information-based material design and nanosciences and managing director of the Institute for Nanotechnology at KIT. Dehnen is an elected member of the DFG's expert committee for molecular chemistry and editor-in-chief of the journal Inorganic Chemistry (ACS). She sits on numerous editorial boards and is a member of several national and international academies such as the National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina and the European Academy of Sciences. Stefanie Dehnen has been awarded numerous prestigious prizes, including the Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize from the DFG and the Alfred-Stock Memorial Award (now the Marianne Baudler Prize) from the GDCh. In 2022 she received an ERC Advanced Grant from the European Research Council. She has been active on the Board of the GDCh since 2020 (2020-2021 as vice president) and was a member of the Board of the Wöhler Association for Inorganic Chemistry of the GDCh from 2014 to 2022 (2018-2022 as Chair).
The German Chemical Society (GDCh) is one of the largest chemical science societies in the world with around 30,000 members. It promotes scientific work, research and teaching as well as the exchange and dissemination of new scientific findings. The GDCh supports the creation of networks, transdisciplinary and international collaboration 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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JOINT PRESS RELEASE
the city of Frankfurt am Main
the German Chemical Society e. V. (GDCh) as well as
the German Physical Society e. V. (DPG)
Professor Dr. Dr. hc Herbert Waldmann, director at the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Physiology and professor at the Technical University of Dortmund, will receive the Otto Hahn Award 2023. The award is endowed with 50,000 euros and is jointly sponsored 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 October 26th in the festive setting of the Paulskirche in Frankfurt.
Herbert Waldmann made a significant contribution to establishing chemical biology as a research area and had a decisive influence on the further development of the discipline. His work inspired innovative research in the field of medicinal chemistry and paved the way for novel therapeutic interventions in, among other things, cancer research.
“Herbert Waldmann is not only an outstanding scientist and university professor. Through his research, he has discovered new Literature of active ingredients and thereby assumed social responsibility," explains Professor Dr. Karsten Danielmeier, President of the German Chemical Society.
“Herbert Waldmann’s outstanding scientific achievements are also an important contribution to strengthening public appreciation and visibility of the natural sciences, whose findings are essential for socio-political decisions and for solving complex global challenges,” adds Professor Dr. Joachim Ullrich, President of the German Physical Society.
“By awarding the Otto Hahn Prize, the city of Frankfurt remembers one of its most important citizens and honors great research personalities. “Herbert Waldmann deserves this award without a doubt,” congratulates Frankfurt Mayor Mike Josef.
In his scientific work, Waldmann designed a novel methodology to synthesize fully functional proteins. In addition, he developed a general conceptual framework for the design and synthesis of bioactive small molecules that modulate the function of proteins. These approaches have been successfully applied in biological research and provided new insights into important biological processes, particularly signal transduction.
With his group, the chemist developed a synthesis method for lipidated proteins, in particular the Ras GTPases, which are mutated in around 20% of all human cancers. This led to significant insights into their role in biological signaling, including the discovery of the dynamic "Ras cycle." This research enables the development of small molecule inhibitors that can inhibit the growth of Ras-dependent tumors and opens up new opportunities for novel therapeutic interventions.
In his current research, the awardee and his group are specifically developing so-called pseudo-natural substances. These are biologically active substances with novel chemical frameworks. They consist of building blocks of natural materials, but are not natural materials themselves. In order to develop such pseudo-natural products, Waldmann analyzes how the biological properties of natural products are encoded in their structure. The elements of this structural code are then linked together to form new substances. Cell cultures are then used to check whether the pseudo-natural substance has new biological activity. If this is the case, it can be researched in active ingredient research as a basis for new drugs.
Herbert Waldmann completed his chemistry studies with a doctorate at the Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz in 1985. 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 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, Leiden University, NL, awarded him an honorary doctorate. Waldmann has been a member of the German Academy of Natural Scientists Leopoldina since 2004. He is also a member of various editorial boards of scientific journals as well as numerous specialist advisory boards and boards of trustees.
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 areas 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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The German Chemical Society (GDCh) includes the König Building at the Technical University of Dresden, which contains the historical dye collection, in its “Historic Sites of Chemistry” program. The building with its historical sequence of rooms consisting of a lecture hall, preparation room, laboratory and magazines for the dye collection conveys a vivid impression of chemical teaching before the Second World War. The associated commemorative plaque will be unveiled at a ceremony on October 12, 2023.
With the “Historic Sites of Chemistry” program, the German Chemical Society (GDCh) has been commemorating achievements of historical significance in chemistry since 1999. In a ceremonial act, the places of work of important scientists are honored with a commemorative plaque. The aim of this program is to keep the memory of the cultural heritage of chemistry alive and to bring chemistry and its historical roots more into the public eye.
Today's König Building was inaugurated in 1926 as a laboratory for colors and textile chemistry and the headquarters of the institute of the same name. The laboratory was founded in 1893 as the first university laboratory of its kind in Germany by Richard Möhlau (1857 – 1940), who headed it until 1911. Hans Theodor Bucherer (1869 - 1949) followed Möhlau as director of the laboratory from 1911 to 1913. Under the direction of Walter König (1878 - 1964) from 1913 to 1954, the institute developed into a world-leading facility for research into synthetic materials Dyes and their application. König's work on polymethine dyes was groundbreaking for the development of color photography. The name König-Bau was given during his term in office in 1953. The König-Bau also became the home of the dye collection in 1926, the oldest holdings of which date back to the middle of the 19th century. Through systematic collecting for research purposes at the Institute of Color and Textile Chemistry, a unique collection was created that documents the development of synthetic dyes from the discovery of mauvein in 1856 to the present day.
Festive event
On October 12th, the building will be ceremoniously included in the “Historic Sites of Chemistry” program and the commemorative plaque will be unveiled. The rest of the festival's program covers a range from historical dye research to modern OLED displays. Registration for the free event is possible until October 1st at www.gdch.de/geschichtestaetten.
brochure
For this occasion, the GDCh is publishing a brochure on the history of the König Building and the historical dye collection. The brochure can be obtained from November 1st via the GDCh shop at https://shop.gdch.de.
The German Chemical Society (GDCh) is one of the largest chemical science societies in the world with around 30,000 members. The “Historic Sites of Chemistry” program keeps the memory of the cultural heritage of chemistry alive and brings chemistry and its historical roots more into the public eye. An essential criterion for selection as a historical site is that the discoveries associated with it are of great importance for people and society.
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The GDCh Chemistry Science Forum (WiFo) will take place in Leipzig from September 4th to 6th under the motto “Rethinking Chemistry”. The most important chemistry congress in German-speaking countries is organized by the German Chemical Society (GDCh), the largest chemical science specialist organization in the EU. In addition to scientific lectures and discourses, the program also offers a diverse supporting program from the breakfast session on startups to a science slam on chemistry.
Climate change, recycling and energy shortages are just three current, pressing challenges of our time. In order to address them, chemistry must also take new paths and establish new ways of thinking. WiFo 2023 will focus on the individual contributions that chemistry has already made and can still make to overcome these challenges.
Two top-class plenary symposiums address concepts and sustainable strategies for “Rethinking Chemistry”. The over 30 sessions of the GDCh Divisions on the topics of “Synthesis and Catalysis”, “Materials”, “Energy, Resources and Environment”, “Life Sciences” and “chemical education” also show current approaches and solutions from the respective specialist areas. Interdisciplinary symposia such as “Rethinking History of Chemistry: Fascinating Stories and Reflections for the Future”, “Chemistry Meets Art” and “Setting Limits between Science and Politics” build bridges between the disciplines and invite you to think outside the box.
The WiFo also offers numerous highlights beyond the scientific program. A breakfast session promises impetus for the founding of startups in chemistry. Initially, three short lectures are dedicated to the start-up scene in Saxony, an international view from and on Australia and the motivating success story of a biochemist. Afterwards, participants have the opportunity to discuss and network.
The 5th ChemSlam, a mixture of science and entertainment, will be exciting and funny. Several scientists present their chemical topics in an easy-to-understand and entertaining way, in a maximum of ten minutes per lecture. The audience also plays an active role, as they decide who delivers the best slam and evaluate not only the scientific content, but also the comprehensibility and entertainment value of each presentation. In addition to conference visitors, chemistry classes from schools in the area will also be there.
The WiFo has special program items available for students, doctoral candidates and especially graduates: young scientists can present their research to a broad scientific plenum at a poster party. As part of the GDCh Career Days, those interested can find out about the various job profiles and how to start a career. Workshops and lectures on all aspects of Career provide chemists with valuable input for starting their career and for their future careers. Institutions, publishers and companies present themselves in an exhibition accompanying the WiFo. The GDCh is also represented with a stand and offers plenty of information and space for exchange. Employees from the various GDCh departments answer questions and the GDCh career service is available to provide advice, questions and tips.
With around 30,000 members, the German Chemical Society (GDCh) is one of the largest chemical science societies in the world. Every two years it organizes the GDCh Science Forum (WiFo) Chemistry at different locations in Germany. The WiFo 2023 will take place under the motto “Rethinking Chemistry” from September 4th to 6th, 2023 in the KONGRESSHALLE at the Zoo in Leipzig. Participants can expect a varied program of plenary lectures, main symposiums, a poster exhibition and an industrial exhibition. Numerous prestigious prizes are also awarded. Registration is possible at www.wifo2023.de.
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As part of the GDCh Science Forum Chemistry 2023 (WiFo) of the German Chemical Society (GDCh), Professor Dr. Dr. hc Henning Hopf was awarded the Primo Levi Prize on September 4th. He will receive the prize, which is supported by the GDCh together with the Italian Chemical Society (SCI), at the opening ceremony of WiFo 2023 in the KONGRESSHALLE at the Zoo in Leipzig.
The Primo Levi Prize honors chemists or scientists from chemistry-related disciplines who are particularly committed to protecting human rights and thus advancing the dialogue between chemistry and society. This year's awardee, Professor Dr. Dr. hc Henning Hopf, receives the award for his significant contributions to both the chemical community and society in general. His commitment as a member of various academies and chemical societies, including the GDCh, is exemplary. In particular, he has long been committed to exposing the involvement of German chemists and their organizations in the structures of the Nazi state. Among other things, Hopf initiated a scientific study of the GDCh's predecessor organizations. This resulted in the book 'Chemists in the "Third Reich" - The German Chemical Society and the Association of German Chemists in the Nazi Ruling Apparatus', commissioned by the GDCh in 2015. The work was written by the science historian Professor Dr. Helmut Maier writes and examines in detail the history of the GDCh's predecessor organizations, with particular attention to the National Socialist era.
Hopf's tireless commitment to responsible chemistry is also reflected in his work within the International Organization for Chemical Sciences in Development (IOCD), where he is an active member of the Chemists for Sustainability (C4S) group. His essays on topics such as resilience, circular chemistry/economics, ethics, diversity and inclusion have attracted a lot of attention, and Hopf's initiatives to promote international collaboration and support chemists in less wealthy countries also make him a worthy recipient of the Primo-Levi -Price.
Henning Hopf was born in Wildeshausen, Lower Saxony, in 1940 and studied chemistry at the University of Göttingen and the University of Wisconsin, Madison, USA. After completing his doctorate in the USA, he returned to Germany for his habilitation, first at the University of Marburg and then at the University of Karlsruhe. After a professorship at the University of Würzburg, Hopf received a position at the Technical University of Braunschweig in 1978. He received numerous high awards, including the Adolf von Baeyer Medal from the GDCh in 1996. He held several visiting professorships, served on numerous editorial boards of journals and conducted extremely successful research in the field of organic chemistry. He has been associated with the GDCh for many years: In addition to his work on the Board and the office of president in 2004 and 2005, he represented the GDCh in numerous committees and gave the GDCh a lot of impetus. He was therefore made an honorary member in 2015.
The Primo Levi Prize commemorates the Italian writer and chemist who was deported to Auschwitz as a Jewish resistance fighter. He survived and is considered an important representative of Holocaust literature. His works are dedicated to remembering the victims and fighting against forgetting. Primo Levi would have been 104 years old on July 31, 2023.
With around 30,000 members, the German Chemical Society (GDCh) is one of the largest chemical science societies in the world. Every two years it organizes the GDCh Science Forum (WiFo) Chemistry at different locations in Germany. The WiFo 2023 will take place under the motto “Rethinking Chemistry” from September 4th to 6th, 2023 in the KONGRESSHALLE at the Zoo in Leipzig. Participants can expect a varied program of plenary lectures, main symposiums, a poster exhibition and an industrial exhibition. Numerous prestigious prizes are also awarded. Registration is possible at www.wifo2023.de.
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The 51st German Food Chemistry Days will take place at the University of Bonn from August 21st to 23rd. At the annual meeting of the Food Chemical Society (LChG), the largest Division of the German Chemical Society (GDCh), the focus is on food quality and consumer protection. This includes, among other things, the analysis of per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) from kitchen items, the use of artificial intelligence in the analysis of meat spoilage and the possible opportunities and risks that edible insects offer as feed . As part of the Conference , the GDCh also honored Professor Dr. Thomas Henle, Technical University of Dresden, for his special contributions to scientific development and the promotion and recognition of food chemistry with the Joseph König commemorative coin.
PFAS are industrial chemicals that are used as coating materials, for example in functional jackets, tent tarpaulins, umbrellas, pizza boxes and baking paper. However, we now know that PFAS have environmental and health impacts, including accumulating in food chains. For this reason, monitoring PFAS levels in materials that come into contact with food is becoming increasingly important. PFAS are also used in the production of non-stick coatings. Against this background, Nancy Wolf from the Technical University of Dresden and her team developed a new method for analyzing PFAS emissions from cookware. The so-called thermal desorption gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (TD-GC-MS) showed that no heat-induced release of PFAS was observed in the baking dishes and frying pans examined up to 250 °C. In her lecture, Wolf explains exactly how she proceeded and what these results mean.
The lecture by Professor Dr. Ulrich Busch from the Bavarian State Office for Health and Food Safety in Oberschleißheim. As part of the “Future Laboratory 2030”, artificial intelligence will be used to predict the sensory and microbiological quality of food. In this context, Busch and his team carried out next-generation sequencing (NGS)-based analyzes of the microbiome in particular to investigate how it changes due to storage duration or conditions. The focus of their initial investigations was on perishable and non-fermented foods such as: B. minced meat, where microbiological spoilage is a relevant aspect of food safety. In the lecture , the first results of the microbiome analysis of microbial populations in series of measurements of minced meat will be presented.
In the search for alternative Literature to cover the need for animal protein, edible insects have recently become increasingly important. While the acceptance of insects as food among the European population is still low, their use in the animal feed sector for feeding fish and poultry is generally accepted. In order to ensure the quality and safety of the feed , it must be examined whether contaminants, such as mycotoxins, i.e. mold toxins, can get into the feed via insects. Dr. Ronald Maul, Max Rubner Institute, Institute for Safety and Quality in Milk and Fish, Kiel, and his team investigated whether contaminant transfer to insects is possible. At the same time, it sheds light on whether a transfer of minerals can occur. In his lecture , Maul presents the opportunities and risks that edible insects offer as feed .
On August 22nd, Professor Dr. Thomas Henle, Technical University of Dresden, the Joseph König commemorative coin worth 7,500 euros. The GDCh recognizes his contributions to promoting the field of food chemistry nationally and internationally as well as his scientific activities. With his fundamental work on chemical changes during food processing, e.g. B. under high pressure treatment, the subject of food chemistry is advanced. Through his research into the physiological significance of protein modifications and bioactive peptides, including in connection with hypertension, he has broken new scientific ground and published internationally visible works. Henle had a significant influence on the Society of Food Chemistry through his activities on the Board, of which he was Chair from 2005 to 2010. In 1998, he established a center for food chemistry training and research at the Technical University of Dresden, which is now one of the largest in Germany.
As part of the Conference, the Society of Food Chemistry also awards the Werner Baltes Prize, the Future Award of the Society of Food Chemistry, the Bruno Rossmann Award and the Josef Schormüller Scholarship. Who will receive the awards in 2023 will be announced on site.
Further information at www.gdch.de/lchtage2023
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 is to promote the exchange of ideas in the field of food chemistry and its neighboring disciplines and to provide professional suggestions. With over 2,600 members, the Society of Food Chemistry is the largest Division in the GDCh.
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In 2022, a total of 8,137 beginners started a chemistry course - 1.2% fewer than in the previous year (2021: 8,233). This is shown by the annual statistics for chemistry courses from the German Chemical Society (GDCh). The number of students who completed a chemistry course with a master's degree or the first state examination rose to 3,761 (2021: 3,727). After a record number of doctorates were reported in the previous year (2021: 2,231), the number fell to a moderate level of 1,883 in the reporting year. The number of graduates looking for jobs and those who initially accepted temporary positions fell again to a lower value than in the previous year.
The following results emerged from the individual study programs:
98% of all bachelor's graduates at universities and 68% at universities of applied sciences went on to study for a master's degree. Around 86% of master's graduates at universities began a doctorate. This value remains lower than the long-term average (90%) and now appears to have leveled off at a lower level.
46% of graduates with a doctorate in chemistry know about their first step into professional life. According to university data, around 44% took up a position in the chemical and pharmaceutical industry (2021: 34%), and 17% (2021: 21%) took up a temporary position in Germany (including postdoc). 14% worked in the rest of the economy after graduating (2021: 14%) and 9% took a job abroad after graduating (2021: 13%). Around 5% stayed at a university or research institute (2021: 4%). Around 4% of graduates held a position in the public sector (2021: 6%). At the time of the survey, 5% were considered job seekers (2021: 7%).
As in every year, the number of “real” job seekers is likely to be slightly lower. Due to the deadline for the survey being December 31st. Graduates who start their new job in January or February are still recorded as job seekers.
The brochure “Statistics of Chemistry Degree Programs 2022” is available as a flip catalog at www.gdch.de/statistics.
With around 30,000 members, the German Chemical Society (GDCh) is one of the largest chemical science societies in the world. It deals, among other things, with current developments at universities and on the job market. Since 1952, the GDCh has been collecting extensive statistical data on chemistry courses every year. The statistics from 2022 are based on data from the chemistry and business chemistry courses, biochemistry and life sciences, food chemistry and the chemistry courses at the universities of applied sciences (HAW), formerly universities of applied sciences. The number of beginners and students, the number of final exams passed as well as the respective final grades and duration of study were queried. In addition, some universities provided information about the career entry of their graduates after completing their studies or doctorate. The deadline for the survey is December 31st.
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The five large mathematical and scientific societies with a total of over 130,000 members ( Wissenschaft-verbindet.de ) have submitted their statement to the BMBF on the planned changes to the law on fixed-term contracts for science. The umbrella organization of the geosciences (DVGeo), the German Mathematicians' Association (DMV), the German Physical Society (DPG), the German Chemical Society (GDCh) and the Association of Biology, Life Sciences and Biomedicine in Germany (VBIO) support the Federal Ministry's goal for education and research, to make employment relationships in science more predictable. However, they criticize individual points of the planned law.
In the view of the five companies, a reform of fixed-term employment law is an important step in attracting excellent researchers and showing them reliable career paths. However, it must be accompanied by adequate basic funding for universities and research institutions. This also includes sufficient resources for necessary permanent contracts. Since the draft law applies equally to all disciplines, it must be sufficiently flexible to meet the specific requirements of different disciplines. Instead of setting fixed exceptions for individual subjects, a flexible design should be made possible that is based on specific needs.
The companies welcome a minimum contract term for the initial contract during the promotion of three years. However, the proposed fixed-term regulation for postdocs after completing their doctorate of four years (plus two years if there is a prospect of a permanent position) is the lower time limit for a fixed-term contract. Mathematical and scientific research often requires more time to achieve reliable results. Flat-rate maximum fixed-term contracts without taking technical characteristics into account and without more permanent positions limit researchers' perspectives and planning security and endanger the international competitiveness of Germany as a science location.
The mathematical and scientific societies also emphasize that, in addition to tenure track, alternative qualification paths for permanent positions in the academic sector must be maintained, such as national and international programs to promote young talent. The classic habilitation should also still be possible, as should third-party funding in this phase.
The companies support increasing the maximum duration of employment during studies to eight years. However, the flat-rate minimum contract term of one year does not meet the requirements of teaching and research at faculties of mathematics and natural sciences and should be able to be flexibly adapted to the duration of the assigned tasks.
The planned opening within the framework of collective agreements is viewed critically by companies, as this could jeopardize the comparability of employment contracts in universities and research institutions and impair the mobility of researchers. The academic career system must not become a patchwork of different fixed-term regulations in collective agreements.
The detailed statement can be viewed at https://science-verbindet.de/presse.
The five major mathematical and scientific societies - the Umbrella Association of Geosciences (DVGeo), the German Mathematicians' Association (DMV), the German Physical Society (DPG), the German Chemical Society (GDCh) - are located at www.wissen-verbindet.de. as well as the Association for Biology, Life Sciences and Biomedicine in Germany (VBIO). Together they represent over 130,000 members. They are united by the awareness that those working in science are particularly responsible for shaping all of human life.
The German Chemical Society (GDCh) awards Professor Dr. Thomas Fässler, Technical University of Munich, received the Arfvedson Schlenk Award worth 7,500 euros. The award, which is sponsored by the company Albemarle Germany GmbH, honors scientists for outstanding work in the field of lithium chemistry. Fässler receives the prize for his outstanding contributions to lithium-rich intermetallic compounds, which could contribute to efficient and safe high-performance lithium batteries in the future. The award ceremony will take place on September 4th as part of the GDCh Science Forum for Chemistry (WiFo) in Leipzig.
In his research, Fässler deals with the synthesis, characterization and theoretical description of materials based on inorganic solids and molecular compounds. Starting from substance classes of intermetallic compounds and Zintl phases with soluble Zintl ions, he investigates novel main group element-based materials at the transition from molecular compounds to solids. The material classes examined have potential applications in the areas of energy storage and energy conversion materials as well as solar cells and superconductors as well as catalysts.
Fässler receives the Arfvedson Schlenk Award for his significant contributions in the field of Zintl phases, particularly lithium-rich intermetallic compounds. These innovative materials can be of great use in the future as solid-state ion conductors for safe, high-performance lithium batteries. The selection committee emphasized that, through his groundbreaking research work in the field of lithium-containing compounds, Fässler had set international standards for the development of new, lithium-rich compounds and lithium ion conductors and had provided significant impetus for further development in both solid-state and molecular chemistry.
Thomas Fässler, born in 1959, studied chemistry and mathematics at the University of Konstanz and received his doctorate at the University of Heidelberg. After a post-doctoral stay at the University of Chicago, USA, he completed his habilitation at ETH Zurich. He began his teaching career with a professorship at the Technical University of Darmstadt. Since 2003 he has held the chair for inorganic chemistry with a focus on new materials at the Technical University of Munich. Fässler has headed the elite “Advanced Materials Science” course since 2004 and was dean of studies from 2007 to 2010.
About the price
The Arfvedson Schlenk Award is awarded to scientists for outstanding work in the field of lithium chemistry. In 1997 the prize was established by Chemetall, Frankfurt aM together with the GDCh. This was followed by the sponsor Rockwood Lithium, which became Albemarle Germany GmbH, which now sponsors the prize.
The GDCh Science Forum Chemistry (WiFo) – short and sweet
The GDCh Science Forum Chemistry 2023 will take place under the motto “Rethinking Chemistry” from September 4th to 6th, 2023 in the KONGRESSHALLE at the Zoo in Leipzig. Participants can expect a varied program of plenary lectures, specialist symposiums, a poster exhibition and an industrial exhibition. Numerous prestigious prizes are also awarded. Registration is possible at www.wifo2023.de.
With around 30,000 members, the German Chemical Society (GDCh) is one of the largest chemical science societies in the world. Every two years it organizes the GDCh Science Forum (WiFo) Chemistry at different locations in Germany. The GDCh also invites renowned international scientists to give lectures at this most important German chemistry congress.
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At the GDCh Chemistry Science Forum (WiFo), the German Chemical Society (GDCh) awarded Professor Dr. Sebastian Hasenstab-Riedel, Free University of Berlin, the Christel and Herbert W. Roesky Prize. The award from the Christel and Herbert W. Roesky Foundation, established at the GDCh, is endowed with 10,000 euros and is being presented for the first time. Hasenstab-Riedel receives the prize for his outstanding achievements in the field of transition and main group chemistry as well as modern molecular spectroscopy under cryogenic conditions. The award ceremony will take place on September 6th as part of the WiFo Closing Lecture.
Sebastian Hasenstab-Riedel is considered a leading international scientist in the field of halogen chemistry, which is important for numerous applications from modern plastics to novel substitutes for greenhouse gases. In his research on the chemistry of halogens - from the element fluorine to the element iodine - different methods are used. For example, he uses matrix isolation spectroscopy at -269 °C to examine these usually very reactive compounds. His work in the field of synthetic halogen chemistry includes fundamental studies but also applied science, as demonstrated by numerous patents and several industrial collaborations.
Sebastian Hasenstab-Riedel, born in 1975, began his professional career with training as a chemical laboratory technician before studying chemistry from 1998 to 2003 at the University of Siegen and the Julius Maximilian University of Würzburg. He then received his doctorate in theoretical chemistry in Würzburg in 2006. After research stays at the University of Helsinki, Finland, and at McMaster University in Hamilton, Canada, he completed his habilitation in inorganic chemistry at the Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg in 2013. In the same year he accepted a professorship at the Free University of Berlin. Since 2019, Hasenstab-Riedel has also been spokesman for the special research center “Fluorine-Specific Interactions” and director of the Institute for Chemistry and Biochemistry. He has been an active GDCh member since 2001 and is currently on the Board of the AG fluorine chemistry and the Wöhler Association for Inorganic Chemistry of the GDCh. He has already received numerous awards for his research. For example, Hasenstab-Riedel received a Consolidator Grant from the European Research Council in 2019 and, since 2021, an Einstein Professorship from the Einstein Foundation Berlin. In 2023, his project ChemSysCon was awarded the Werner Siemens Foundation Research Prize.
About the price
To promote science and research in the field of main group molecular chemistry, Professor Dr. hc mult. Herbert W. Roesky for himself and on behalf of his late wife Christel Roesky in 2021 the Christel and Herbert W. Roesky Foundation. The foundation's task is to award the Christel and Herbert W. Roesky Prize, worth 10,000 euros, every two years. The prize honors individuals who have published groundbreaking scientific work in the field of molecular chemistry of main group elements. The work is said to have led to important and new scientific findings for the general public.
The GDCh Science Forum Chemistry (WiFo) – short and sweet
The GDCh Science Forum Chemistry 2023 will take place under the motto “Rethinking Chemistry” from September 4th to 6th, 2023 in the KONGRESSHALLE at the Zoo in Leipzig. Participants can expect a varied program of plenary lectures, specialist symposiums, a poster exhibition and an industrial exhibition. Numerous prestigious prizes are also awarded. Registration is possible at www.wifo2023.de.
With around 30,000 members, the German Chemical Society (GDCh) is one of the largest chemical science societies in the world. Every two years it organizes the GDCh Science Forum (WiFo) Chemistry at different locations in Germany. The GDCh also invites renowned international scientists to give lectures at this most important German chemistry congress.
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The German Chemical Society (GDCh) awards Professor Dr. Alfred Flint, University of Rostock, the Heinz Schmidkunz Prize worth 7,500 euros. In doing so, the society honors Flint's commitment, his charisma and his ability to vividly combine theory and practice. The award ceremony will take place on September 4th as part of the GDCh Science Forum for Chemistry (WiFo) in Leipzig.
The Heinz Schmidkunz Prize, endowed with 7,500 euros, is awarded to personalities who have made special contributions to chemistry didactic research, the training of chemistry teachers and chemical education in schools. This year's awardee , Alfred Flint, is considered one of the most active chemistry educators in Germany. He also convinced the selection committee that he not only developed his experiments and concepts, but also presented them authentically and demonstrated them in lectures and workshops.
For his “Chemistry for Life” project, he developed a structured and systematic chemical education with materials that children and young people are familiar with from their everyday lives. Thanks to him, everyday substances such as citric acid, pipe cleaners and oxygen bleach (oxycleaners) have found their way into chemical education . Because it is relevant to everyday life, this form of teaching is particularly motivating and sustainable for students.
Alfred Flint passed the first state examination for high school teaching in chemistry, physics and geography at the Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg in 1985/1988. He received his doctorate in chemistry didactics in 1989, also in Oldenburg. In 1992, he passed the second state examination at the State Study Seminar in Oldenburg, before teaching as a teacher at the Albert-Schweitzer-Schule high school in Nienburg/Weser from 1992 to 1999. In 1998 Flint completed his habilitation in didactics of chemistry at the University of Oldenburg, while from 1997 to 1998 he took on a substitute professorship for didactics of chemistry at the Johann Wolfgang Goethe University in Frankfurt. Flint has been a professor of chemistry didactics at the University of Rostock since 1999 and has headed the GDCh teacher training center in Rostock for over fifteen years. For his work, he has already been awarded the Heinrich Roessler Award (2006) and the Manfred and Wolfgang Flad Award (2017) by the GDCh Division chemical education Department (FGCU).
The GDCh Science Forum Chemistry (WiFo) – short and sweet
The GDCh Science Forum Chemistry 2023 will take place under the motto “Rethinking Chemistry” from September 4th to 6th, 2023 in the KONGRESSHALLE at the Zoo in Leipzig. Participants can expect a varied program of plenary lectures, specialist symposiums, a poster exhibition and an industrial exhibition. Numerous prestigious prizes are also awarded. Registration is possible at www.wifo2023.de.
With around 30,000 members, the German Chemical Society (GDCh) is one of the largest chemical science societies in the world. Every two years it organizes the GDCh Chemistry Science Forum (WiFo) at different locations in Germany. The GDCh also invites renowned international scientists to give lectures at this most important German chemistry congress.
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Two sustainability researchers are being recognized for their work by the German Chemical Society (GDCh). Professor Dr. Klaus Kümmerer, Leuphana University of Lüneburg, receives the Wöhler Award for sustainable chemistry for his pioneering research achievements in the field of sustainable chemistry. Dr. Philipp Demling, RWTH Aachen University, will be awarded the prize for bioconversion of renewable raw materials for his dissertation. Both awardee will receive their awards on September 6th as part of the GDCh Science Forum (WiFo) Chemistry.
Circular plastics, wastewater reuse and end-of-life Management of solar systems - these are just a few examples of the research areas in which Professor Dr. Klaus Kümmerer has done outstanding work for sustainable chemistry. The awardee was also one of the first to establish the “Benign by Design” concept, in which environmental impact is reduced through the targeted design of molecules. Kümmerer was able to successfully test the concept in practical examples, such as the development of ionic liquids that are less harmful to the environment and biodegradable antibiotics. In addition, he is committed to ensuring that sustainable topics are integrated into the training of chemists and has designed and established corresponding study programs. For his groundbreaking contributions to the development and implementation of sustainable chemistry, the GDCh is honoring Kümmerer at the WiFo with the Wöhler Award for sustainable chemistry, worth 7,500 euros.
Klaus Kümmerer studied chemistry at the Julius Maximilian University of Würzburg and the Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, where he also received his doctorate in 1990. In 1999 he received the Venia legendi for environmental chemistry and environmental hygiene at the Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg. After completing his habilitation, Klaus Kümmerer initially became an assistant professor and later Head of the Section for Applied Environmental Research at the University Hospital of Freiburg. In 2005 he became an associate professor at the University of Freiburg. From 2008 to 2010 he was both Deputy Chair of the Commission for Environment and Sustainability and environmental representative at the University Hospital of Freiburg. Kümmerer has been Professor of sustainable chemistry and Physical Resources at the Leuphana University of Lüneburg since 2010 and Director of the Research & Education Hub at the International Sustainable Chemistry Collaborative Center (ISC3) since 2017. He is and has been a member of numerous national and international committees and regularly advises the EU and UNEP as well as national and international politics on sustainability issues.
The prize for bioconversion of renewable raw materials will also be awarded at the WiFo, which will be presented in 2021 by GDCh member Prof. Dr. em. Manfred Schneider was set up at the GDCh. The award, worth 2,000 euros, goes to young doctors who completed their doctorate no more than two years ago. This year's awardee is Dr. Philip Demling. In his dissertation at RWTH Aachen University, he deals with process engineering improvements in fermentative rhamnolipid production. He has developed new processes to prevent foam formation as well as new digestion and bioreactor concepts that would improve industrial applications.
The GDCh Science Forum Chemistry (WiFo) – short and sweet
The GDCh Science Forum Chemistry 2023 will take place under the motto “Rethinking Chemistry” from September 4th to 6th, 2023 in the KONGRESSHALLE at the Zoo in Leipzig. Participants can expect a varied program of plenary lectures, main symposiums, a poster exhibition and an industrial exhibition. Numerous prestigious prizes are also awarded. Registration is possible at www.wifo2023.de.
With around 30,000 members, the German Chemical Society (GDCh) is one of the largest chemical science societies in the world. Every two years it organizes the GDCh Science Forum (WiFo) Chemistry at different locations in Germany. The GDCh also invites renowned international scientists to give lectures at this most important German chemistry congress.
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On September 5th in Leipzig, the German Chemical Society (GDCh) honored Professor Dr. Rainer Herges, Christian Albrechts University in Kiel, with the Adolf von Baeyer memorial coin. The award ceremony takes place as part of the GDCh Science Forum for Chemistry (WiFo) - the most important chemistry congress in German-speaking countries. Herges impressed with the quality, originality and wide range of his work on organic chemistry.
The Adolf von Baeyer Memorial Coin, worth 7,500 euros, is awarded to scientists for outstanding work in the field of organic chemistry. The namesake Adolf von Baeyer is one of the most important chemists of his time and was honored with the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1905 for the synthesis of indigo and triphenylmethane dyes. This year's awardee Professor Dr. Rainer Herges receives the award for his many original, fundamental and internationally outstanding contributions with which he has shaped organic chemistry. The thematic breadth of his work ranges from theory to synthesis and practical application. Thirty years ago, he successfully developed methods based on machine learning that could be used to predict new chemical transformations. Herges' ACID method for visualizing the density of delocalized electrons is also used worldwide. The awardee also succeeded in producing the first molecule that can be magnetically switched at room temperature, which allows highly precise and spatially high-resolution temperature measurements in MRI, for example.
Rainer Herges was born in St. Ingbert (Saar) in 1955. After studying chemistry at the Saarland University in Saarbrücken, he received his doctorate in 1994 at the Institute for Organic Chemistry at the Technical University of Munich. After research stays at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, USA, and at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, he completed his habilitation in Erlangen-Nuremberg in 1992. In 1996 he became a professor at the Technical University of Braunschweig. Since 2001 he has held the chair for organic chemistry at the Christian Albrechts University in Kiel. He has already received numerous awards for his research - including the ADUC prize from the GDCh Association of German University Professors of Chemistry (ADUC) for his habilitation.
The GDCh Science Forum Chemistry (WiFo) – short and sweet
The GDCh Science Forum Chemistry 2023 will take place under the motto “Rethinking Chemistry” from September 4th to 6th, 2023 in the KONGRESSHALLE at the Zoo in Leipzig. Participants can expect a varied program of plenary lectures, main symposiums, a poster exhibition and an industrial exhibition. Numerous prestigious prizes are also awarded. Registration is possible at www.wifo2023.de.
With around 30,000 members, the German Chemical Society (GDCh) is one of the largest chemical science societies in the world. Every two years it organizes the GDCh Science Forum (WiFo) Chemistry at different locations in Germany. The GDCh also invites renowned international scientists to give lectures at this most important German chemistry congress.
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The German Chemical Society (GDCh) honors Professor Dr. Michael Ruck, Technical University of Dresden, with the Wilhelm Klemm Prize on September 6th. The award ceremony will take place as part of the GDCh Science Forum (WiFo) Chemistry 2023 in Leipzig. The awardee receives the award for his contributions to the chemistry and material properties of solid-state compounds - particularly with bismuth and phosphorus.
The Wilhelm Klemm Prize, endowed with 7,500 euros, commemorates the Münster professor Wilhelm Klemm, whose research advanced inorganic chemistry. The GDCh awards the prize to individuals who do outstanding work in the field of inorganics. This year's awardee , Professor Dr. Michael Ruck is characterized by the fact that his work is conceptually and methodologically unusually broad. The starting point for his preparative research work was classical inorganic solid-state chemistry, which he continued to develop further. Ruck convinced the commission with his crucial contributions to solid-state compounds, ranging from synthesis and structural characterization to nanomaterials and coordination compounds. One result of his research, for example, was the discovery of the fibrous modification of the element phosphorus - which is now also known as Ruck's phosphorus.
Michael Ruck, born in 1963 in Pforzheim, studied chemistry at the University (TH) of Karlsruhe. In 1991 he received his doctorate from the Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research and the University of Stuttgart. Ruck then worked as a research assistant and later as a research assistant at the Institute for Inorganic Chemistry at the University of Karlsruhe. During this time, he completed his habilitation in inorganic chemistry in 1997 and was appointed private lecturer. Since 2000 he has been a university professor for inorganic chemistry at the Technical University of Dresden.
The GDCh Science Forum Chemistry (WiFo) – short and sweet
The GDCh Science Forum Chemistry 2023 will take place under the motto “Rethinking Chemistry” from September 4th to 6th, 2023 in the KONGRESSHALLE at the Zoo in Leipzig. Participants can expect a varied program of plenary lectures, main symposiums, a poster exhibition and an industrial exhibition. Numerous prestigious prizes are also awarded. Registration is possible at www.wifo2023.de.
With around 30,000 members, the German Chemical Society (GDCh) is one of the largest chemical science societies in the world. Every two years it organizes the GDCh Science Forum (WiFo) Chemistry at different locations in Germany. The GDCh also invites renowned international scientists to give lectures at this most important German chemistry congress.
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The German Chemical Society (GDCh) awards the project 'Women In Supramolecular Chemistry (WISC) - an international network supporting equality, diversity and inclusion within supramolecular chemistry' with the Hildegard Hamm Brücher Award for equal opportunities in chemistry . The team around junior professor Dr. Anna McConnell, University of Siegen, will receive the award on September 4th as part of the opening event of the GDCh Science Forum (WiFo) Chemistry in Leipzig.
Women have fewer chances of being employed or even promoted in the chemical sciences. They are more likely to receive short-term, precarious contracts, publish less and are cited less often. Disproportionately fewer women sit on editorial boards, are nominated for awards and submit patent applications. In 2018, a study by the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) showed that many talented women are leaving academia before they have reached their full potential. Current measures to counteract this are not sufficient to ever achieve gender parity.
This is where the award-winning project comes in: WISC aims to create an international community and access to resources for all supramolecular chemists. The project also supports the retention and advancement of all those who identify as women at every career stage and seeks to remove potential barriers. It is important to the WISC team to get involved in order to bring about change instead of just addressing it. The network identified the needs of the supramolecular community through an online survey. Based on the results, the network developed numerous supporting initiatives such as a mentoring network, community clusters to build peer communities, and workshops on integration and diversity for young scientists.
The prize selection committee sees the WISC initiative as a “lighthouse with appeal beyond supramolecular chemistry.” The project is an exemplary example of how committed female chemists, in addition to their professional obligations, have successfully and sustainably joined forces to form an international network in order to achieve greater equal opportunities and inclusion. With its tireless commitment and lived values for more equal opportunities, the team demonstrates a consistent attitude that also distinguished Hildegard Hamm-Brücher.
The GDCh has been awarding the Hildegard Hamm Brücher Award for equal opportunities in chemistry since 2021. With the prize, which is endowed with 7,500 euros, the GDCh wants to send a visible signal and recognize exemplary commitment to equal opportunities in chemistry. Hildegard Hamm-Brücher (1921-2016) was a chemist and received her doctorate in 1945 under Nobel Prize winner Professor Heinrich Wieland in Munich. After the end of the war, she became a 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 values-based action. She fought tirelessly against injustice. 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.
With around 30,000 members, the German Chemical Society (GDCh) is one of the largest chemical science societies in the world. Every two years it organizes the GDCh Science Forum (WiFo) Chemistry at different locations in Germany. The WiFo 2023 will take place under the motto “Rethinking Chemistry” from September 4th to 6th, 2023 in the KONGRESSHALLE at the Zoo in Leipzig. Participants can expect a varied program of plenary lectures, main symposiums, a poster exhibition and an industrial exhibition. Numerous prestigious prizes are also awarded. Registration is possible at www.wifo2023.de.
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From September 4th to 6th, the German Chemical Society (GDCh) invites you to the Science Forum (WiFo) Chemistry in Leipzig. This year's most important chemistry congress in German-speaking countries has the motto “Rethinking Chemistry”. Around 1,500 chemists from home and abroad are expected.
The event takes up the motto of the current GDCh board. GDCh President Dr. Karsten Danielmeier: “Rethinking chemistry is more important than ever in order to tackle the most pressing challenges of our time such as climate change, recycling, energy shortages, diseases and to meet new legislation (e.g. European Green Deal). . Each area of chemistry can and must make its own contribution to overcoming these challenges. And WiFo 2023 will show how many valuable contributions chemistry can make and which new technologies can be used to achieve this.”
Two top-class plenary symposiums will deal with the topic. On September 5th, Professor Leroy 'Lee' Cronin, University of Glasgow /UK, Dr. Sarah Fakih, CureVac AG, Tübingen, and Professor Dr. Peter R. Schreiner, Justus Liebig University Gießen, what concepts for “Rethinking Chemistry” could look like. Cronin is considered a thought leader in the field of digital chemistry and founded the company Chemify. With the company he wants to help digitize chemistry and develop solutions that can execute chemical codes for chemical discovery, drug discovery, synthesis and materials research. Fakih, who studied chemistry, is Vice President Corporate Communications & Investor Relations at CureVac and can provide fascinating insights into mRNA technology. As GDCh President in 2020 and 2021 and today's Deputy GDCh President, Schreiner significantly advanced the GDCh on the path to digitalization, for example by providing the impetus for the development of the GDCh.app.
In the second plenary symposium on September 6th, Dr. Melanie Maas-Brunner, BASF SE, Ludwigshafen, Professor Dr. Evamarie Hey-Hawkins, University of Leipzig, and Professor Dr. John C. Warner, Warner Babcock Institute for Green Chemistry, LLC/US, focuses on sustainable strategies. Maas-Brunner is a member of the Board of Directors and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of BASF SE and gives an insight into how sustainability aspects are implemented at the world's largest chemical company. The award-winning phosphorus chemist Hey-Hawkins knows how important sustainable strategies are, especially given limited raw materials. Warner founded the field of green chemistry together with Paul Anastas over twenty years ago and laid the foundation for sustainable chemical product development.
In addition to the plenary symposiums, over 30 sessions of the GDCh Divisions are dedicated to the topics of “Synthesis and Catalysis”, “Materials”, “Energy, Resources and Environment”, “Life Sciences”, and “chemical education”. In addition, interdisciplinary symposia such as “Rethinking History of Chemistry: Fascinating Stories and Reflections for the Future”, “Chemistry Meets Art” and “Setting Limits between Science and Politics” invite you to think outside the box.
In addition to scientific lectures, the WiFo also offers a diverse supporting program. The GDCh awards some of its most important prizes and honors outstanding chemists. At WiFo, students and doctoral candidates have the opportunity to present their research at a poster party. As part of the GDCh Career Days, graduates receive important information and tips for starting their careers. An exhibition enables publishers, companies and institutions to present themselves. The GDCh Science Party in the historic “Auerbachs Keller” and other social activities offer the opportunity for informal networking.
The GDCh Science Forum Chemistry (WiFo) – short and sweet
The GDCh Science Forum Chemistry 2023 will take place under the motto “Rethinking Chemistry” from September 4th to 6th, 2023 in the KONGRESSHALLE at the Zoo in Leipzig. Participants can expect a varied program of plenary lectures, main symposiums, a poster exhibition and an industrial exhibition. Numerous prestigious prizes are also awarded. Registration is possible from May 3rd at www.wifo2023.de.
With around 30,000 members, the German Chemical Society (GDCh) is one of the largest chemical science societies in the world. Every two years it organizes the GDCh Science Forum (WiFo) Chemistry at different locations in Germany. The GDCh also invites renowned international scientists to give lectures at this most important German chemistry congress.
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Professor Dr. Robert W. Smith, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada, will receive the 2023 Paul Bunge Prize for his life's work and in particular his inspiring contributions to space telescopes. The award ceremony will take place on May 31st as part of the “Writing the History of Scientific Instruments” conference at the Deutsches Museum in Munich. The Hans R. Jenemann Foundation prize 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.
Robert W. Smith's best-known work “The Space Telescope: A Study of NASA, Science, Technology, and Politics” places the history of the Hubble Space Telescope in the context of 'Big Science'. The large-scale research project, which cost two billion euros, produced practically unusable images after it was released into space due to design errors. Smith analyzes how the processes of 'big science', particularly government funding procedures for major projects, contributed to these failures. It reveals the astonishingly complex interactions between science, government and industry and describes the wide range of personalities and forces - scientific, technical, political, social, institutional and economic - that have played a role in the history of the space telescope.
Since the beginning of his research career, Smith has dedicated himself to studying the history of scientific instruments. He is particularly interested in how these instruments have shaped the scientific enterprise and how this in turn shapes the instruments. Smith's work has received multiple awards and is cited and recommended not only within academia, but also by NASA and other organizations. In addition to his research, he imparts his knowledge both through his teaching activities and in popular science lectures. His work fascinates academic colleagues, museum professionals, government agencies and the interested public alike, helping to expand the audience and enhance the reputation of the history of scientific instruments.
Robert W. Smith studied physics at Queen Mary College in London/UK and completed the Mathematical Tripos at the University of Cambridge, UK. In 1979 he received his doctorate - also from Cambridge - in the history and philosophy of science. Since 1998 he has been a professor in the Department of History and Classics at the University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada. Previously, he was Chair of the Department of Space History at the National Air and Space Museum of the Smithsonian Institute in Washington DC, USA. He was Lindberg Chair in Aerospace History at the Smithsonian Institute and a Fellow of the National Humanities Center and McCalla Professor and Killam Annual Professor at the University of Alberta.
The Paul Bunge Prize is considered the world's most important honor in the history of scientific instruments and is advertised publicly and internationally. The advisory board of the Hans R. Jenemann Foundation, which is supported by the GDCh and the DBG, decides on the award. Hans R. Jenemann (1920–1996), chemist at Schott Glaswerke in Mainz, became known for his contributions to the history of scientific equipment, especially historical scales. He himself founded the foundation in 1992. The prize is named after the Hamburg precision mechanic Paul Bunge (1839–1888), one of the leading designers of laboratory balances for chemical analysis.
With around 30,000 members, the German Chemical Society (GDCh) is one of the largest chemical science societies in the world. It maintains numerous foundations, such as the Hans R. Jenemann Foundation. The Paul Bunge Prize of the Hans R. Jenemann Foundation is awarded annually, usually alternately at the Bunsen Conference and the lecture conferences of the GDCh Division of History of Chemistry.
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An amendment to the Science Temporary Contract Act (WissZeitVG) is currently being discussed. In principle, a discussion of the career paths of young scientists inside and outside academic institutions is very welcome. However, from the perspective of the signatory scientific societies, essential aspects have not yet been adequately described in the debate surrounding the amendment of the WissZeitVG for the natural and life science disciplines.
Scientific work in the natural and life sciences as well as in biomedicine usually requires the collection of complex data sets as well as complex quantitative analyzes of processes that inherently take place on long-term time scales. The associated contributions are recognized by the scientific community through scientific publications in leading international journals, which require internationally competitive work opportunities well beyond the envisaged 3-year postdoc phase. Visible publications then enable scientists to independently manage their own research projects and thus form the basis for appointment to a permanent professorship or comparable management positions.
Limiting the postdoc phase to just 3 years is therefore significantly too short, especially in international comparison, and would massively restrict the individual work opportunities of scientists, especially with a view to a further academic career. A migration of scientists abroad and a significant loss in the quality of research in the natural and life sciences as well as in biomedicine would be the inevitable negative consequences. Furthermore, such a narrow time limit for the postdoc phase would lead to a significant disadvantage for women in science.
We would also like to point out that the proposed amendment to the WissZeitVG, which is currently being actively discussed by all those involved, will no longer create permanent positions. This can only be achieved by significantly increasing the permanent resources for basic financing of universities and non-university institutions.
The signatory professional societies represent more than 45,000 members in the natural and life sciences as well as biomedicine.
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 findings, also through transdisciplinary and international collaboration. The GDCh also advocates for modern training and further education at school, university and in the professional environment.
Contact:
Prof. Dr. Volker Haucke
President of the Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Tel. +49 (0) 30 947 93 100
Email: haucke@fmp-berlin.de
https://gbm-online.de
Dr. Karin J. Schmitz
German Chemical Society eV
public relations
Tel. +49 69 7917-493
Email: pr@gdch.de
www.gdch.de/presse
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Addition to the press release from March 27, 2023:
After the press release was published, the following societies (with a total of more than 10,000 members) joined the call:
On the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of the death of the chemist Karl Ziegler, the German Chemical Society (GDCh) invites all interested parties to a public symposium on April 25, 2023 in Frankfurt am Main. The program includes lectures about Nobel Prize winner Karl Ziegler and his research: It's about the history of polymers, their benefits, their disadvantages and how sustainable recycling can be achieved. In addition, Nobel Prize winner for Chemistry Benjamin List will present organocatalysis, another of Ziegler's exciting research fields, and the Karl Ziegler Award, worth 50,000 euros, will be awarded.
On the fiftieth anniversary of his death, the GDCh remembers Karl Ziegler and his work - which is still current today. As part of a public symposium, scientists will present Ziegler's life and research and show the direct influence his discoveries still have on our lives today. Current developments such as questions of sustainability, the circular economy and recycling are not neglected. As a special highlight, the 2021 Nobel Prize winner in Chemistry, Professor Dr. Benjamin List from the Max Planck Institute for Coal Research in Mülheim an der Ruhr will give a lecture on organocatalysis (ie catalysis with the help of small organic molecules). He explains why life without catalysis is unthinkable and how resource-saving and sustainable production of, for example, medicines, fuels and materials is possible with organocatalysts. The event will be hosted by GDCh President Dr. Karsten Danielmeier and the deputy GDCh president Katharina Uebele.
Karl Ziegler, who was born in 1898, is best known for his contributions to the development of polymer chemistry and catalysis. In particular, Ziegler-Natta catalysis, named after him and his Italian colleague Giulio Natta, revolutionized the plastics industry and contributed to the development of light, robust and long-lasting materials. Together with Natta, he received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1963. Karl Ziegler also has a special significance for the GDCh: He was its first president after it was founded in 1949.
Karl Ziegler Award and Karl Ziegler Young Scientist Award
As part of the event, the GDCh awards the Karl Ziegler Award - one of the most highly endowed German awards in the field of chemistry - to Professor Dr. Tanja Weil from the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research in Mainz. The prize is awarded to scientists who conduct research in Karl Ziegler's fields. Tanja Weil receives the award for her outstanding and innovative work in which she combines polymer synthesis and supramolecular structure formation to answer current biomedical questions. With her research, she opens up new avenues for compatible materials in biomedicine that can actively bring about regeneration processes. The Karl Ziegler Award is endowed with 50,000 euros and a gold medal and is funded by a foundation that Ziegler's daughter, Marianne Witte, set up at the GDCh.
Young scientists will also receive an award at the symposium: Dr. Christopher Teskey from RWTH Aachen University receives the Karl Ziegler Young Scientist Award for his research project to develop a new reductive cross-olefin coupling reaction using visible light. The junior group leader receives funds totaling 30,000 euros to finance a postdoc position for the project for one year.
The event
The Karl Ziegler anniversary symposium will take place on April 25, 2023 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Max Buchner lecture hall at DECHEMA (Theodor-Heuss-Allee 25, 60486 Frankfurt am Main). All interested parties are cordially invited to take part in the event, which is also expressly aimed at the interested public. Admission is free, please register by April 10th.
Program and registration at https://www.gdch.de/gdch/stiftungen/karl-ziegler-stiftung/karl-ziegler-jubilaeumssymposium.html
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 scientific knowledge. The GDCh manages numerous dependent foundations as trustees. The purpose of these foundations is to award prizes, sponsorships and scholarships. Foundation advisory boards decide on the awarding of prizes, awards and scholarships. At 50,000 euros, the Karl Ziegler Award is, alongside the Klaus Grohe Prize and the Otto Hahn Award, the GDCh's highest prize. It was first awarded in 1998 with funds from the Karl Ziegler Foundation to Gerhard Ertl, the 2007 Nobel Prize winner.
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Joint press release from the German Association of Mathematicians (DMV), the German Physical Society (DPG), the German Chemical Society (GDCh) and the Association of Biology, Life Sciences and Biomedicine in Germany (VBIO)
This year, the Ars legendi Faculty Prize for excellent university teaching in mathematics and the natural sciences goes to Holger Schielzeth, University of Jena (biology), Sebastian Seiffert, University of Mainz (chemistry), Claudia Kirch, University of Magdeburg (mathematics) and Ivonne Möller, university Bochum (physics).
Now in its tenth year, the Ars legendi Faculty Prize for Mathematics and Natural Sciences honors scientists who distinguish themselves through outstanding, innovative and exemplary achievements in teaching, advising and support. It is awarded by the Stifterverband, the German Chemical Society, the German Mathematicians' Association, the German Physical Society and the Association of Biology, Life Sciences and Biomedicine in Germany. The award has been presented since 2014 in the categories of biology, chemistry, mathematics and physics and comes with prize money of 5,000 euros each.
This year, the awardee were selected by a nine-person jury made up of representatives from scientific disciplines and students. She awarded the Ars legendi Faculty Prize 2023 to the following people from teaching and course coordination:
In the biology category
receives the Ars legendi Faculty Prize Professor Dr. Holger Schielzeth from the Friedrich Schiller University Jena, where he took over the professorship for population ecology in 2016 “and has since developed an exemplary teaching profile, which extends from the 1st semester in the bachelor's program in “Biology” to the master's program in “Ecology, Evolution and Systematics” runs through. Prof. Schielzeth developed innovative teaching formats for compulsory courses in the bachelor's degree program in biology and, in addition to the technical qualification, imparts key qualifications in the areas of data management and interpretation as well as the formation of hypotheses using simulation models," said the jury.
In the chemistry category
The faculty prize goes to Professor Dr. Sebastian Seiffert from Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz. He is being honored “for his groundbreaking combination of teaching formats as part of his courses in physical and macromolecular chemistry, in particular for the creation of a textbook that depicts a physical chemistry course in a blended learning format, as well as for his commitment to the current topic of “To bring climate change closer to the student body and a broader audience in courses, lectures and panel discussions,” the jury said in its statement.
In the mathematics category
The award goes to Professor Dr. Claudia Kirch from the Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg. “She cleverly combined elements from face-to-face teaching with digital formats. This includes, for example, a weekly plan, short lecture videos and assignments with mutual assessment by the students. In her teaching, Ms. Kirch succeeded in showing how modern teaching concepts can be used effectively and realistically in practice in mathematics. “She is also recognized for her commitment to making skills in statistics, such as data literacy, accessible to students and to the general public in outreach events,” said the jury.
In the physics category
The course coordinator Dr. Ivonne Möller from the Ruhr University Bochum received the Ars legendi Faculty Prize "for her compulsory module 'Learning Group Management', which is now anchored in the curriculum, in the second year of the Bachelor's degree with the goals of increasing the ability to study and reducing student attrition at the beginning of the course, as well as for 'Project Management' in the first year of the master’s degree in order to improve professional qualifications,” said the jury.
The celebratory award ceremony for the Ars legendi Faculty Prizes for Mathematics and Natural Sciences will take place on April 25, 2023 at 5 p.m. in the DPG Magnus House in Berlin Mitte. Those interested are warmly invited. Please register by email to vogt@mathematik.de by April 3, 2023.
Further information about the Ars legendi Faculty Prize for Mathematics and Natural Sciences can be found at https://www.stifterverband.org/ars-legendi-mn
Press contact
German Mathematicians Association
Thomas Vogt, Tel. 030 838-75657
Email: vogt@mathematik.de
Donors' Association
Peggy Groß, Tel. 030 322982-530
Email: presse@stifterverband.de
The German Chemical Society (GDCh) awards Professor Dr. Mario Thevis, German Sport University Cologne, the Fresenius Award. He receives the award, which comes with a gold medal and prize money of 7,500 euros, for special services to analytical chemistry. Because the internationally renowned doping expert shows with his work how important and relevant analytics is for society. Thevis will receive the award on April 11th at ANAKON 2023 in Vienna. The Analytical Chemistry Division Award and the DAAS Award will also be awarded on site.
As a world-renowned doping expert, Mario Thevis is a figurehead of German analytical chemistry. He has been active in the area of doping control at World Championships and Olympic Games for around twenty years. Due to the associated public visibility in all media, he represents analytical chemistry not only within science, but also in the public eye. But his research results also speak for themselves: Thevis has already developed numerous new, powerful analysis methods for a large number of substances and their metabolites that are currently used as doping agents or could be used in the future.
The expert is always aware of his great responsibility. Because every analytical result can have a direct and decisive influence on the Career, reputation and future of the people concerned. He often showed that initially inexplicable and particularly rare analytical results require further detailed investigations. For this reason, Thevis is regularly called upon as an expert in sports law and criminal proceedings. Last but not least, he manages to present his research in an engaging way. He has already been a guest at many international Conferences as a plenary speaker and was appointed speaker for the Fresenius Lecture in 2022/23 by the GDCh Division of Analytical Chemistry .
Mario Thevis, born in Aachen in 1973, studied chemistry at the RWTH Aachen University and sports science at the German Sport University in Cologne, where he also received his doctorate at the Institute of Biochemistry in 2001. After a research stay at the University of California, Los Angeles, USA, he completed his habilitation at the German Sport University in Cologne. He has been a professor of preventive doping research there since 2006. Since 2016 he has been director of the Institute of Biochemistry and the anti-doping laboratory in Cologne, which is certified by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). During his dissertation, he supported the doping control laboratory in Helsinki (Finland) as part of the Nordic World Ski Championships in 2001. Since then, he has supported numerous world championships and Olympic Games with his scientific expertise. Thevis has published his research in over 450 scientific publications in renowned journals and has already received numerous awards for his work. He is director of the European Monitoring Center for New Doping Drugs (EUMOCEDA), and editor-in-chief of the journal “Drug Testing and Analysis”, published by Wiley-VCH.
The Analytical Chemistry Division Award and the DAAS Award are also awarded as part of ANAKON: Professor Dr. Nicole Strittmatter, Technical University of Munich, receives the Division 's award for her work in the field of multimodal mass spectrometric imaging in pharmaceutical and oncological research. Dr. Carla Kirschbaum will be awarded the German Working Group for Analytical Spectroscopy (DAAS) prize for her dissertation entitled “Lipid Fingerprinting by Mass Spectrometry and Laser Light” written at the Free University of Berlin and the Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society. awarded by the GDCh Division of Analytical Chemistry .
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 Analytical Chemistry with around 2,500 members. The Division sees its main task as bringing together all scientists and practitioners interested in analytical chemistry in the broadest sense for the purpose of promoting this area of knowledge. The Division maintains nine working groups for the different analytical disciplines.
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The spring symposium of the JungChemikerForum (JCF) of the German Chemical Society (GDCh) will take place in Gießen from March 21st to 24th. Under the motto “Chemistry is coming home,” around 300 young scientists will come together at one of the birthplaces of modern chemistry, the Justus Liebig University of Gießen. The conference program includes scientific lectures – including one from a Nobel Prize winner – poster sessions and workshops, an industrial exhibition and a varied supporting program. Further highlights include the awarding of the Carl Roth Sponsorship Prize and the Dres. Volker and Elke Münch Prize.
For 25 years, the JCF Spring Symposium has been one of the largest conferences in Europe by and for young researchers. The event is organized annually by changing regional forums of the JungChemikerForum, the GDCh's junior organization. In 2023, the Gießen, Frankfurt and Marburg regional forums took over the organization and jointly created a diverse program. In addition to internationally renowned scientists, junior group leaders and young researchers will have their say at the event. One of the best-known speakers this time is the Nobel Prize winner in Chemistry, Professor Dr. Benjamin List, Max Planck Institute for Coal Research, Mülheim. The former and now deputy GDCh president, Professor Dr. Peter R. Schreiner, Justus Liebig University Gießen, and Professor Dr. Stefanie Dehnen, GDCh board member and managing director of the Institute for Nanotechnology at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, will speak at the spring symposium.
On the occasion of the event's milestone anniversary, there will be a review of the past symposia and Professor Dr. Peter R. Schreiner will underline the event motto with a Liebig chemical-historical lecture . In two poster sessions, students and doctoral candidates from all areas of chemistry and related natural sciences have the opportunity to exchange ideas. In addition, young chemists can present their topic in “5 minute pitches”, i.e. short lectures. The best posters or pitches will be awarded a prize. The conference is accompanied by an industrial exhibition. Workshops, excursions and social activities round off the program.
The Carl-Roth Award will be awarded at the Conference on March 22nd. The GDCh gives the award, worth 5,000 euros, to young chemists who develop resource-saving synthesis routes or use chemicals innovatively. The prize is financed by Carl Roth GmbH & Co. KG, which also contributes another 3,000 euros in the form of a voucher. The prize goes to Simon BH Karnbrock, Georg-August-
University of Göttingen, for the excellent and independent work he did during his master's degree. As part of his master's thesis, he succeeded in developing a phosphorus-based organocatalyst for the first time that promotes redox processes via phosphorus-ligand redox cooperation. He published the results of his work as first author in Angewandte Chemie - one of the world's most important chemistry journals, which is published by the GDCh.
The Dres. Volker and Elke Münch Prize will also be awarded on March 22nd. The prize from the foundation of the same name, which is based at the GDCh, is endowed with 7,000 euros and is awarded to young inventors who have made a groundbreaking invention in the field of chemistry or chemical process engineering. The prize money will be used to support a patent application. This year the award goes to a team consisting of Maximilian Röhrl and Professor Dr. Josef Breu from the University of Bayreuth, Dr. Pier Lorenzo Caruso and Dr. Emily Boswell, both Procter & Gamble. Together they developed a sustainable paper barrier laminate for flexible packaging applications. The foundation advisory board sees the invention as an interesting and practical approach that can meet society's need for sustainable packaging.
On March 23rd, Professor Dr. Johanna R. Bruckner, University of Stuttgart and Professor Dr. Lena Daumann, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, received the FAIR4Chem Award for her published data sets from chemical research. The prize is awarded by the NFDI4Chem consortium, in which the GDCh is involved, and supported by the Chemical Industry Fund.
Further information can be found at https://symposium.jcf.io.
With around 30,000 members, the German Chemical Society is one of the largest chemical science societies in the world. It promotes scientific work, research and teaching as well as the exchange and dissemination of new scientific findings. The GDCh supports the creation of networks, transdisciplinary and international collaboration and continuous education and training in schools, universities and in the professional environment. The GDCh has 27 Divisions as well as 60 local sections and regional forums of the JungChemikerForum (JCF) at 54 university locations. Nationwide, the JCF forms a platform for around 10,000 young members of the GDCh.
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At the Chemiedozententagung, which will take place from March 13th to 15th at the Technical University of Dresden, the German Chemical Society (GDCh) will award two of its renowned prizes. Professor Dr. Kai Exner, University of Duisburg-Essen, receives the Carl-Duisberg Memorial Award and Professor Dr. Oliver Trapp , Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, is awarded the Horst Pracejus Prize. The GDCh Association of German University Professors of Chemistry (ADUC) invites you to the Conference for university teachers from chemistry faculties from Germany and neighboring countries. The Working Group also awards its three ADUC prizes on site.
The GDCh awards Professor Dr. Kai Exner, University of Duisburg-Essen, received the Carl-Duisberg Memorial Award for his outstanding conceptual contributions in the highly topical and competitive fields of theoretical electrocatalysis and battery research. Exner has undergone impressive scientific development. Even at an early stage in his academic Career , his work demonstrated groundbreaking approaches and a high degree of independence. The Carl-Duisberg Memorial Award, endowed with 7,500 euros, has been awarded since 1936 to young university teachers who work at a German university or, as Germans, at a foreign university, who do not yet hold a W2/W3 or comparable position and who have not exceeded the age of 40 have. Of the prize sum, 5,000 euros go directly to the awardee winner and the remaining 2,500 euros go to the working group.
Kai Exner, born in Bad Arolsen in 1987, studied chemistry at the Justus Liebig University in Gießen, where he received his doctorate in physical chemistry in 2015. After postdoctoral stays at the University of Ulm and in Gießen , he went to Sofia University, Bulgaria, in 2017 as a Feodor Lynen research fellow from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. In 2020 he received a return scholarship from the foundation, which he used to conduct research at the University of Duisburg-Essen. Since June 2021 he has been a junior professor there with a focus on theoretical inorganic chemistry. Exner has already received numerous awards (including an ADUC prize in 2022), scholarships and third-party funding. He has published over 60 articles in renowned scientific journals, including more than 50 articles as first author or corresponding author.
The GDCh awards another award to Professor Dr. Oliver Trapp, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich. He receives the Horst Pracejus Prize for his fundamental contributions to self-amplification in asymmetric catalysis, to enantioselective autocatalysis and to the determination of absolute configuration by direct methods. With his developments of the first self-reinforcing asymmetric reactions and the elucidation of the mechanism of asymmetric autocatalysis, Trapp showed for the first time that such chemical processes are a general phenomenon and can even be designed rationally. He identified the generic principles of autocatalysis and made its enormous potential accessible both conceptually and experimentally. Since 1997, the GDCh has been honoring scientists for outstanding work in the field of enantioselectivity or chirality with the Horst Pracejus Prize, worth 7,500 euros. The namesake, Professor Horst Pracejus, was known for his research in the field of chiral catalysis and Head of the Catalysis Research Institute in Rostock.
Oliver Trapp, born in 1973, studied chemistry at the Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, where he received his doctorate in organic chemistry in 2001. After research stays at Stanford University, California, USA, and at the Max Planck Institute for Coal Research in Mülheim an der Ruhr, he taught at the Ruhr University in Bochum, where he also completed his habilitation. In 2008 he accepted an appointment at the Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg, where he was also Managing Director of the Heidelberg Organic Chemical Institute from 2012 to 2015. Since 2016 he has been a professor of organic chemistry at the Ludwig Maximilians University in Munich. He has also been Director of the Department of Organic Chemistry there since 2018 and Director of the Department of Chemistry since 2021. In 2010, Trapp founded the company Trapp ChemTech, which develops software tools for data processing and data management in chemical, pharmaceutical and environmental analysis. Trapp has received numerous awards and prizes and supports committees and advisory bodies with his expertise.
As part of the Conference , the ADUC will also honor three young scientists for establishing an independent research area. Jun.-Prof. Dr. Christoph Kerzig, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, receives an ADUC prize for the further development of photochemical energy conversion, especially in water, as well as for the development of novel two-photon processes for photocatalysis with visible light. Also honored is Dr. Golo Storch, Technical University of Munich, for the biomimetic development and investigation of substituted flavins as molecular redox catalysts in organic synthesis. And Dr. Terrance Hadlington, Technical University of Munich, receives an ADUC award for the implementation of the one-center ambiphily concept, which enables sophisticated cooperative bond activations on transition metal complexes with low-valent, redox-active main group ligands and makes them usable for homogeneous catalytic processes, especially hydroamination.
Further information about the Conference can be found at www.gdch.de/cdt2023
The German Chemical Society (GDCh) is one of the largest chemical science societies in the world with around 30,000 members. 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 young scientists every year (during their habilitation, scholarship or junior professorship) for establishing an independent research area.
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