D-CHAB News

Researchers in the group of Jean-Christophe Leroux (IPW) have developed a safe and inexpensive device for reliable blood measurements. It works using a suction cup and could also be employed to diagnose the tropical disease malaria – even by non-​medical personnel.

Julia Reisenbauer  has been honored with the Prix Schläfli Chemistry for her dissertation on "skeletal editing," which she completed at the D-CHAB  of ETH Zurich (Morandi Group). Her work involves the targeted rebuilding of molecules so they can perform specific functions. 

A new computer process developed by researchers led by Gisbert Schneider and Kenneth Atz makes it possible to generate active pharmaceutical ingredients quickly and easily based on a protein’s three-​dimensional surface. The new process could revolutionise drug research.

A new molecular test method developed in the group of Prof. Robert Grass (ICB) helps to prove the authenticity of works of art. The new method could also help to make passwords secure against quantum computers.

A recent publication in “Matrix Biology”, which resulted from a collaboration between D-​CHAB (Wennemers group) and D-​BIOL (Werner group) within the frame of the SKINTEGRITY.CH project, demonstrates that an innovative chemical sensor offers visualization of collagen remodeling during tissue repair.

Nowadays, finding successful women scientists is not hard. However, there are still cases where women scientists encounter obstacles that their male colleagues may not, raising the question of where women in STEM stand today. A small exhibition at the Chemistry | Biology | Pharmacy Information Center celebrating International Women’s Day on March 8 explores the landscape of women in STEM, showcases literature, and highlights some stories. The exhibition is open until March 22, 2024.

Dr. Nathalie M. Grob, currently Postdoctoral Researcher at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), has been appointed as Assistant Professor of Peptide-based Drug Discovery. Nathalie M. Grob’s research involves developing efficient methods of discovering new, peptide-based medications. Her teaching and research have a particular focus on pathologies that principally affect women and have been little studied to date. She was awarded an SNSF Starting Grant for her work.

To celebrate the International Day of Women and Girls in Science in February, D-CHAB, in partnership with EducETH and WiNS, invited interested schoolgirls to look behind the scenes of the department on February 14, 2024. Here is a review of an afternoon full of bright, colorful, sustainable, and applied chemistry, from nanocrystals to artificial hearts.

Artificial intelligence and automated laboratory infrastructure are massively accelerating the development of new chemical catalysts. With these tools, researchers led by Paco Laveille (Swiss Cat+, D-CHAB) are developing catalysts for efficiently and cost-​effectively synthesising the energy source methanol from CO₂.

Javier Pérez-Ramírez will receive the prestigious 2024 Award for Excellence in Natural Gas Conversion for his groundbreaking advances in reshaping the landscape of catalytic materials and processes to address critical energy, resource, and environmental challenges. The award will be presented at this years National Gas Conversion Symposium in Xiamen, China, and brings together more than 100 renowned researchers from academia and industry. 

Dr. Erich Meister has been at ETH Zurich for 40 years. For 35 of those, he has successfully further developed the PC practical course and always put a lot of energy into teaching – whether to train students or curious kids at open lab days. Now he is retiring and handing over the reins to Dr. Takuya Segawa. In an interview with Nonô Saramago (editor of Exsikkator), he talks about his times at ETH, chances, programming languages, calligraphy and paradise. We say thank you with a video. 

At the start of the year, Gisbert Schneider handed over the management of the Singapore-​ETH Centre (SEC) to Manu Kapur. The outgoing SEC Director looks back in an interview at his three years in office and explains why he is keeping one foot in Singapore.

The Young Scientist Lecture at the D-CHAB is held by young scientists who have performed excellent research at the Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences (IPW). This year, Nicole Zoratto from the Leroux Group, gave the lecture on December 6, 2023, and presented her research on bioinspired, low-​cost devices for minimally invasive blood sampling. 

Amy E. Fraley, Postdoctoral Researcher at ETH, is appointed as Tenure Track Assistant Professor of Medicinal Chemistry at the D-CHAB. Her research focuses on the biosynthesis of natural products and combines fundamental evolutionary questions with new biotechnological applications. Hansjörg Grützmacher, Full Professor of Inorganic Chemistry at D-CHAB, is going to retire in July 2024. Hansjörg Grützmacher joined ETH in 1995. His research focuses on new molecules with unusual bonding properties.

Prof. Andrea Burden and her colleague Dominik Stämpfli work together with Kantonsspital Baden to find ways of preventing patients from becoming dependent on opioid painkillers.

On the road to recovery, patients come into contact with clinicians from a whole range of disciplines. Students of medicine at ETH Zurich learn about the importance of targeted collaboration between these disciplines in a new training module developed in collaboration with a hospital and a nursing college as well as with the coordinators of pharmacy-​related degree programmes at ETH.

Researchers from ETH Zurich, among them Maksym Kovalenko, Empa - Swiss Federal Laboratory for Materials Science and Technology, and Stanford have taken snapshots of the crystal structure of perovskite nanocrystals as it was deformed by excited electrons. To their surprise, the deformation straightened out the skewed crystal structure rather than making it more disordered.

Protein-​like aggregates known as amyloids can bind to molecules of genetic material. It is possible that these two types of molecules stabilised each other during the development of life – and that this might even have paved the way for the genetic code.

A new AI model developed by researchers led by Gisbert Schneider can not only predict where a pharmaceutically active molecule can be chemically modified, but also how best to do it. This makes it possible to identify new pharmaceutical ingredients more quickly and improve existing ones in a targeted manner.

Researchers led by Professor Ursula Quitterer (IPW) have now shown that a previously unknown protein plays a key role in a congenital malformation of the heart. Their findings point the way towards new treatment options.         

Professor Helma Wennemers has been teaching at D-CHAB for twelve years with unwavering enthusiasm – be it specialized lectures or introductory lectures in organic chemistry. For her performance, the ETH Zurich Student Association (VSETH) has honored her with the Golden Owl 2023. In this interview, she speaks about her experiences and role models and reveals the value of traditional teaching methods.

As natural catalysts, enzymes are highly efficient at speeding up complex chemical reactions. Victor Mougel and his team aim to mimic this ability. They are the first to synthesize a complete series of iron-sulfur cubane redox clusters with all oxidation states, revealing how the clusters’ environment affects redox potential and reactivity. They also proved the clusters' effectiveness in developing efficient CO₂ reduction catalysts. Mougel receives the Ruzicka Prize 2023 on Nov. 23.

The Excellence Scholarship & Opportunity Program (ESOP) of ETH Zurich promotes outstanding students every year. They are among the best and receive support from the donors of ETH Foundation for their Master's studies so that they can fully concentrate on education and research. In the D-​CHAB this year, five students received the scholarship. Get to know Magdalena Lederbauer, Valerie Pascetta, Ramon Hügli, Jasmin Frei und Lisa Sherman.

The Prelog Lecture is organized annually by the Laboratory of Organic Chemistry. On this occasion, the Prelog Medal is awarded for innovative contributions to stereochemistry in its broadest sense. This year, Prof. Melanie Sanford (University of Michigan), is giving the Prelog Lecture on “New Reactions for Carbon-​Fluorine Bond-​Formation" on Nov. 13, 2023, 4 pm. HCI J7 (ETH Hönggerberg). Learn more about Prof. Melanie Sanford and her research. 

On Oct 26, Prof. Michele Parrinello's farewell lecture took place in the Auditorium Maximum at ETH Zurich. Parinello talked about the "Physics of Catalysis". In case you missed this event, watch the video recording here.

On Oct 25, Prof. Kjell Jorner's and Prof. Yohei Yamauchi's inaugural lectures took place in the Auditorium Maximum at ETH Zurich. Kjell Jorner explored the "Chemical space: the final frontier" while Yohei Yamauchi was "Decoding Virus entry" infront of a full lecture hall. In case you missed this event, watch the video recording here. 

Since 2008, the SNSF has launched Ambizione calls to promote promising early-career researchers to conduct and lead an independent project at a Swiss higher education institution. Among the 97 successful researchers is Ana Benítez, in Paolo Arioso’s group. Her project aims to develop a universal technology to enhance the stability of both isolated enzymes and bacterial cells with potential applications in industrial biocatalysis, biomedicine, or functional biomaterials.

Drug design, sustainable energy storage, and chemical production are just some of the challenges in chemistry where AI can find applications. Kjell Jorner, the new Professor of Digital Chemistry at the Institute for Chemical and Bioengineering at the D-CHAB, wants to drive this development and accelerate the transition to sustainable chemical production in the field of catalysis.

A group of researchers led by by David Klein Cerrejon and Nevena Paunović (Leroux Group, IPW) have developed a suction cup that allows medications to be absorbed through the mucosal lining of the cheeks. This new approach could spare millions of patients the pain and fear associated with injections.

Dr. Tomas Fiala, postdoc at the LOC, is one of the 8 researchers who received the prestigious Branco Weiss Fellowship in 2023, awarded by ETH Zurich to outstanding postdocs. His research aims to uncover how protein post-translational modifications direct the immune response in the brain, affecting brain homeostasis and the development of neurodegenerative disorders. The followship allows him to pursue his research for up to five years at an institute of his choice anywhere in the world.

Luca Schaufelberger, ETH Foundation Excellence Scholar and soon a doctoral student in the Institute of Chemical and Bionengineering at D-CHAB, belongs to a new generation of researchers campaigning for their work to be embedded in society. Here he talks about the initiative “Reatch” and pleads for closer scrutiny of AI.

Morph Tales is a funny obstacle course where children and adults alike can discover how artificial intelligence (AI) and people work together. Each of its four adventures addresses a different AI topic and is inspired by real research projects at ETH Zurich. The adventure "virtual drug design", for instance, was co-created by Jan Hiss (Schneider Group). Morph Tales achieved 2nd place at the Digital Awards 2023. 

Naresh Kumar, Senior Scientist in the Zenobi Group (LOC), is awarded the 2023 Masao Horiba Award for his contributions to the advancement of nanoscale chemical analysis in novel semiconductor materials using optical nanospectroscopy. Established in 2003, the Masao Horiba Award promotes excellence in analytical and measurement technologies research among scientists and engineers at universities and public research institutes worldwide. Find more details about the awardee in this article.  

On the weekend of 2-3 September, visitors can experience science up close and personal at interactive exhibition stands, shows and workshops and exchange ideas with researchers. The D-CHAB will be present as well with booths and workshops. Scientifica, Switzerland's largest science festival starts on 26 August with events in the city of Zurich. Free tickets are available now.

The International Chemistry Olympiad (IChO) has ended after an exciting event. Talented chemists from 89 countries showcased their skills and became acquainted not only with Switzerland but also with ETH Zurich and the D-CHAB. A review with many pictures.

The 55th International Chemistry Olympiad ended with a closing ceremony on Monday afternoon, 24 July. Out of 348 participants, 217 were awarded gold, sil-​ver, or bronze medals. The Swiss team took home an "honourable mention."

Helma Wennemers, Professor at the Institute of Organic Chemistry at the D-CHAB, is the moderator of the International Chemistry Olympiad opening ceremony, taking place today. In this short video interview, Professor Wennemers talks about her fascination for collagen, the importance of serendipity, chemistry as a subject for men and women, and she explains why chemistry in particular has the ability to bring people together, no matter what country they come from.

ETH Zurich will host the International Chemistry Olympiad (IChO) between 16 and 25 July. More than 300 young scientists from some 90 countries are expected to participate. This is the first time that Switzerland is hosting the event.

In deepest grief, the Laboratory of Organic Chemistry announces that our friend and colleague, Prof. em. Albert Eschenmoser passed away peacefully, at the age of 97, on July 14, 2023.

Have you ever wondered what lies under your skin? How can you examine thousands of cells? What does a catalyst look like, and can aerosols be made visible? “The Art of Chemistry” exhibition – visitable at ETH’s Hönggerberg campus (HCI / H-floor) and online, curated by Julia Ecker and Oliver Renn (PR D-CHAB) – approaches science in a different way. 13 large pictures provide insights into the D-CHAB’s research and illustrate that chemistry is not only exciting, but beautiful – even truly artistic.

Researchers from ETH Zurich, led by Hans-Jakob Wörner, and from the University of Geneva have developed a new method that allows them to observe chemical reactions taking place in liquids at extremely high temporal resolution. The new insights further our understanding of how life on Earth might have begun.

Our new video offers a journey through the department, showcasing the D-CHAB, its members, and chemistry itself. Putting all the exciting things that happen daily at D-CHAB into such a short video was challenging though. Julia Ecker (PR D-CHAB, Director of the video) reveals some insights about the making of this film and presents the final video here. Check it out, share & enjoy!

Researchers led by Professor Ruth Signorell have managed to produce slow electrons in a solution. In the future, such electrons could help make certain chemical reactions more efficient.

Professor Wendelin Stark and Dr. Nevena Paunović were both chemistry Olympians. In 2023, they will return to the Olympiad in new roles: the former as the head of the IChO Scientific Committee and the latter as a startup founder. In this interview, they reveal how the Olympiad has influenced their lives and careers, and what participants can expect from the host country and the competition.

Are you curious to know what happens to former D-CHAB students? John von Neumann started studying chemical engineering in 1923 at the D-CHAB, but only under pressure from his father, who claimed he would never earn a living with mathematics. Later, he became known as the last of the great mathematicians and one of the 20th century’s greatest minds whose work has continued to shape research and entire disciplines.

This year's Eschenmoser Lecture on May 8 will be given by Prof. em. Bernhard Kräutler from the University of Innsbruck (Austria). In his talk he will explore "the Chemistry of Vitamin B12 Biology". Kräutler has devoted his research to the chemistry of tetrapyrroles (vitamin B12 plus derivatives), chlorophyll and fullerenes. He is considered a leading expert on the reaction mechanisms of B12-dependent enzymes in radical and polar reactions. Kräutler has received numerous awards.

The recipient 2023 Bioconjugate Chemistry Lectureship Award is Jean-Christophe Leroux, full Professor in Drug Formulation and Delivery and head of the Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences at ETH Zurich. The award, issued by the journal Bioconjugate Chemistry and the ACS Division of Polymeric Materials: Science and Engineering, recognizes the contributions of an individual who has made a major impact working at the interface between the synthetic and biological worlds.

Computer simulations have helped researchers led by Sereina Riniker (LPC) understand in detail how pharmaceutically active substances cross cell membranes. These findings can now be used to discover new drug candidates more efficiently.

Viruses are the most ingenious burglars of the world as they manage to enter their host with permission. However, all work differently. What is a common denominator among viruses and where are their cellular entry points that could be targets for future therapies? Yohei Yamauchi, new Professor of Molecular Medicine at the Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, wants to find answers using cell biology, virology, and biochemistry. He is hot on the heels of influenza- and coronaviruses.

A team led by ETH Zurich chemical engineers Chih-​Jen Shih and Andrew deMello have developed a rapid test system made of smart graphene paper. It only costs a few Swiss Rappen per test strip, is easy to use but is as accurate as lab measurements. The approach will impact more than just disease monitoring. Now the team is top 5 finalist for the Spark Award 2023 which takes place tomorrow.  

Stefan Schmid and Magdalena Lederbauer met at a Chemistry Olympiad five years ago. Both won several “Olympic” medals during their school years. Now the two Austrians are studying chemistry at the D-CHAB of ETH Zurich and are task authors at the International Chemistry Olympiad (IChO) 2023. In the interview, they talk about their fascination for chemistry, their studies at ETH, and their Olympiad experiences that continue to influence them to this day.

Prof. Renato Zenobi is the recipient of the 2023 ACS Division of Analytical Chemistry Award in Spectrochemical Analysis. The award is given to researchers who are advancing the fields of spectrochemical analysis and optical spectrometry. The award is handed over at the Fall ACS (American Chemical Society) Meeting in San Francisco.

The Royal Academy of Exact, Physical and Natural Sciences of Spain is a public institution dedicated to the study and research in mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology and geology and their applications, as well as their promotion for the benefit of society. Now Javier Pérez Ramírez has also been elected a member. The ceremony and presentation of the diploma took place this week.

The ETH Board appointed 14 professors and awarded the title of professor five times. Among them are Paolo Arosio, currently Tenure Track Assistant Professor at ETH Zurich, now apoointed as Associate Professor of Biochemical Engineering, and Hans Jakob Wörner, currently Associate Professor at ETH Zurich, as Full Professor of Physical Chemistry. 

A new collaborative study led by André Bardow (D-MAVT) and supported by Gonzalo Guillén Gosálbez (ICB, D-CHAB), researchers from RWTH Aachen University and the University of California, Santa Barbara, shows what it will take for the plastics industry to become completely sustainable: lots of recycling combined with the use of CO₂ from the air and biomass. It is also the image of plastics that need to change.

Scientists are solution hunters. Often the solution starts as an idea, continues to an experiment, and, if exceptional, can even leave the lab. But what happens next? Why and how does a scientist become an entrepreneur? On today's women's day, three young female researchers and entrepreneurs from D-CHAB present themselves and talk about their experiences.

The Senior Moulton Medal, named after Baron Moulton, is awarded to authors of the most meritorious papers published by IChemE in the last year. Rewarded are papers that are forward-looking in topic areas that will be important in the future. This year, Gonzalo Guillen-Gosalbez, Elysia Lucas and Miao Guo are awarded the senior Moulton Medal for their paper about Sustainable Production and Consumption. 

Recently, the European Commission launched their transition pathway for the European chemical industry. This document supports the transformation of the industry until 2050, which is a big need since there are huge challenges ahead. How can we drive the transition forward and why is the chemical industry an interesting career path for young people? Find out watching the discussion of Alena Budinská, SSCI fellow and PhD student at ETH (Wennemers Group), and Dr. Martin Brudermüller from BASF.

The Ole Gisvold Lecture in Medicinal Chemistry has been established in Ole Gisvold’s memory. Through this lecture the Department of Medicinal Chemistry at the University of Minnesota recognizes scientists who have made outstanding contributions to medicinal and natural products chemistry. This year, Karl Heinz Altmann received the honor to give the Lecture and provided insights into “Total Synthesis and Functional Exploration of Macrocyclic Natural Products”.

Women have often had a hard time in the natural sciences, but times are changing. Associations like the Society for Women in Natural Sciences at D-CHAB and D-BIOL are contributing significantly to this change. Their recipe for success is to include all genders, raise awareness, strengthen networks, and have fun doing it. On today's International Day of Women and Girls in Science, Seraphine Zhang and Valentina Gasser talk about personal experiences, upcoming challenges, and big plans for WiNS.

Even after clinical trials, there is never 100% certainty about the safety and effectiveness of new medicines. The ETH spin-​off Methodds of Adrian Martinez de la Torre and Stefan Weiler (Pharmacoepidemiology Group of Andrea Burden, IPW) offers tailored analytical solutions and expert services for this problem in healthcare.

The NIBR Global Scholars Program (NGSP) is a competitive program designed for innovators from invited institutions to gain funding for breakthrough science not covered by traditional grant support. NIBR supports projects focused on novel science with the objective of being translated to drug discovery and/or clinical research. Sereina Riniker (LPC) is a recipient of the NGSP 2022 and will receive up to 1 mil USD funding over 3 years along with expertise from NIBR scientific collaborators.

The "Académie Nationale de Pharmacie" has elected Prof. Dr. Jean-Christophe Leroux, Professor at the Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, as a member. The Association is dealing with all aspects of pharmaceutical science and technology, and is advising public authorities and informing the public.

How did life on Earth first emerge? And how was it able to prosper and evolve?  Roland Riek (LPC, D-CHAB) and Martin Pilhofer (D-BIOL) are involved in the quest to find answers to these fundamental questions. 

Single cancer cells separate from their tumour and dissipate via the bloodstream through the body.  Early detection of these circulating cells can help physicians to intervene in time and reduce the risk of tumour spreading. Stavros Stavrakis (ICB, deMello Group) presents a promising diagnostic method.

Scientists led by Yinyin Bao, senior scientists in the groups of Chih-​Jen Shih and Jean-Christophe Leroux have developed a modular system for the simple and inexpensive production of security inks. It is based on polymers and could also be used in solar power plants and screens in the future.

ETH scientists are part of a consortium called Zurich Exhalomics – a large team working on the future of diagnostics, where illnesses can be diagnosed using no more than a breath sample. In this ETH Podcast, Prof. Renato Zenobi (LOC) and doctoral student Bettina Streckenbach, both of whom are involved in this project, talk to host Jennifer Khakshouri about breath analysis and what it takes to revolutionise medical diagnostics.

The Vincent du Vigneaud Awards by the American Peptide Society recognize outstanding achievement in peptide research at mid-career. The du Vigneaud Awards are sponsored by Bachem, and are awarded to two deserving recipients at the biennial American Peptide Symposia. Professor Helma Wennemers, from the Laboratory of Organic Chemistry, receives the award in 2023, together with Marcey Waters from the University of North Carlina.

Karl-Heinz Altmann learned his craft as a synthetic organic chemist at university, refined it in industry, and perfected it in academia. To this day, he replicates chemicals using blueprints provided by nature, thus trying to create the basis for new drugs and medicinal substances. After 19 years at ETH Zurich, he has retired and is now reflecting on fortunate detours, marine treasures, and the challenges of absolute freedom.

Plastics or artificial polymers have become an indispensable part of our everyday lives, and yet they cause big problems today. Athina Anastasaki and her team have discovered how polymer construction can be precisely controlled and how they can be recycled efficiently - findings that are also important for industry. For this, Athina Anastasaki (D-MATL) will receive the Ruzicka Prize 2022 on December 19. Here she provides insights into the exciting field of polymer chemistry. 

The Werner Prize is awarded by the Swiss Chemical Society to promising young Swiss scientists or young foreign scientists working in Switzerland for outstanding research in the field of chemistry. Victor Mougel receives the 2023 Werner Prize for his research at the interface of molecular, surface, and materials chemistry, and especially for the development of high efficiency systems for solar-driven conversion of CO2 to hydrocarbons based on a bioinspired approach.

In 1997 D-CHAB alumnus Dr. Walter Fischli founded Actelion, one of the biggest Biotech firms in Europe.Today his foundation supports research projects and young talents. In the interview with ETH Foundation he talks about his time at ETH Zurich and what, in his view, adds spice to science.

His 27 years in the pharmaceutical industry have prepared Dr. Ulrich Thibaut well for teaching in many respects. Nevertheless, teaching remains a persistent challenge for him. The fact that the pharmacist and pharmaceutical chemist is on the right track in this respect has now been confirmed to him by the ETH Student Association (VSETH) who awarded him with the Golden Owl. In this personal interview Ulrich Thibaut talks about personal strengths and weaknesses, failure and success.

The Youth Academy of ETH Zurich offers interested students from the seventh grade onwards courses in which they can deepen their knowledge of mathematical and scientific subjects. Since 2021, more than 2000 students have participated. Chemistry is also well represented with exciting courses on chemical bonding, the chemistry of climate change and the arrangement of elementary particles in the atom – designed and taught by Dr. Adrian Zwyssig. A course on the topic of catalysis is underway. 

This year, the annual ranking of the world’s most highly cited scientists lists 6,938 researchers who have strongly influenced their own or several research fields through their publication activities. The list includes the most cited publications of the last eleven years. Maksym Kovalenko (LAC), Javier Pérez-Ramírez (ICB) and Gisbert Schneider (IPW) are among the 21 highly cited researchers at ETH Zurich.

Every year, the Excellence Scholarship & Opportunity Program (ESOP) at ETH Zurich supports outstanding students who are among the best in their year. They receive financial support for their Master's studies so that they can concentrate fully on education and research. In 2022, four students in D-CHAB managed to convince the commission: Sally Liu, Vincent Wirth, Anna Weinfurter, and Gian-Luca Lötscher. Get to know them in this article.

ETH postdoc Olivier Gröninger (ICB) is improving the drinking water supply for people in rural areas of South America with his Openversum project. This benefits not only the families but also the local economy and the climate. 

The Prelog Lecture is organized annually by the Laboratory of Organic Chemistry. On this occasion, the Prelog Medal is awarded for innovative contributions to stereochemistry in its broadest sense. This year, Prof. Dr. Hiro Suga (University of Tokyo), is giving the Prelog Lecture on “The RaPID system that revolutionizes the discovery of de novo peptides & proteins for therapeutics” on Nov. 21, 2022, 4 pm. HCI J7 (ETH Hönggerberg). Learn more about Prof. Hiro Suga and his research. 

The Peter Speiser Award 2022, awarded by the Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, was given to Prof. Dr. Katalin Karikó. Dr. Peter Speiser was professor of drug formulation and delivery at the ETH from 1961 to 1988 and is considered today as a pioneer in the field of nanomedicine. Katalin Karikó is Senior Vice President at BioNTech SE, Mainz, Germany. On October 12, 2022, she gave her award lecture on developing mRNA for therapy.

The Swiss Academy of Sciences awards the Prix Schläfli Prizes every year for the best dissertation in chemistry, biology, physics and geosciences. Due to the Corona pandemic, no award ceremony has yet taken place for the 2020 and 2021 prize winners. Since two of the last three laureates in chemistry are from ETH Zurich, SCNAT together with ETH Zurich organized a mini-symposium for the laureates of 2020, 2021 and 2022.

The prize is awarded to young scientists who have performed excellent research at the Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences (IPW). This year, Dr. Francesca Borgna from the Schibli group received the prize and gave the Young Scientist Lecture 2022 on September 28, 2022, on her work on the combination of Terbium-161 with somatostatin receptor antagonists, which is a potential paradigm shift for the treatment of neuroendocrine neoplasms. Prof. Roger Schibli and PD Dr. Cristina Müller congratulate.

This year's awardees of the Talent Program in Catalysis and Sustainable Chemistry will be presented at the symposium on September 12, 2022, 14:00 at HCI J7.

Scientists in the group of Bill Morandi (LOC) have found a facile method that allows a commonly used building block to be directly converted into other types of important compounds. This expands the possibilities of chemical synthesis and facilitates the search for new pharmaceutically active ingredients.

In many chemical laboratories, routine chemical syntheses are performed on a daily basis, which takes up a lot of time. ETH spin-​off Synple Chem wants to simplify this with a device that is almost as easy to use as a capsule coffee machine.

Researchers led by Victor Mougel developed an electrocatalytic method that can produce metal hydrides more cleanly and efficiently. The researchers used the hydrides to reduce carbon dioxide to formic acid, one of the most interesting commodity chemicals. The study was recently published in Nature.

The Ernst Schering Foundation honors Gisbert Schneider with the Ernst Schering Prize 2022 for his pioneering work in the field of AI-assisted drug discovery. Through his visionary research, Gisbert Schneider enabled the transfer of this new approach to industrial application. As a result, potential active substances are now identified more quickly worldwide and examined for potential side effects.

The therapy our ailing planet needs is a major change in energy and agricultural practices, and improved monitoring. Máté Bezdek, formerly a researcher at MIT and now an assistant professor at the LAC / D-CHAB, is addressing these global challenges with molecular, sustainable solutions. In an interview, he talks about how to capture in real time what has remained hidden so far, why one should be able to explain complex research in three minutes, and what makes Switzerland a superpragmatic place.

Nobel laureate Vladimir Prelog investigated the characteristics of organic molecules, e.g. spirobifluorenes. Now two of his old samples may serve as a reference for new spirofluorene research, but will this work? Prof. Jay Siegel & Dr. Tomas Fiala (LOC) will find out in this video.

Drug design is time-​consuming and expensive. Identifying a promising starting molecule – a ligand – is key in the design process. A new characterisation method based on NMR spectroscopy probes the interaction of the ligand with its intended target quickly and reliably.

Together with 36 students, the team of the 6th semester OC IV course – taught by Professor Chen and Dr. Tsybizova – recently traveled to Basel to attend the lecture of Nobel Laureate Professor Roald Hoffman, whose work is a central component of the course. The trip was a unique opportunity for the students to get to know him. It was supported by the Camile and Henry Dreyfus Foundation, the organizers of the Roald Hoffmann’s Dreyfus Lectureship. Learn more in this student report.

Researchers at ETH Zurich have developed a method that enables time-​resolved measurements of electron motion in water clusters lasting only a few attoseconds. The technique can be used for more detailed studies of water as well as faster electronics.

In science, it is better to work together than alone and sometimes such collaborations lead to a true revolution. This is what happened in the 1970s, when the Institute of Physical Chemistry at ETH Zurich, together with Bruker, ushered in a new era of nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, significantly expanding the possibilities for chemical analyses in the materials and life sciences. Now, SCNAT honored both sites with the Chemical Landmark. A historical journey.

Two historic sites of the Bruker company and ETH Zurich were honored by the Swiss Academy of Sciences on July 1, 2022.

Methanol, produced from carbon dioxide in the air, can be used to make carbon neutral fuels. But to do this, the mechanism by which methanol is turned into liquid hydrocarbons must be better understood so that the catalytic process can be optimised. Now, using sophisticated analytical techniques, researchers from ETH Zürich and Paul Scherrer Institute have gained unprecedented insight into this complex mechanism.

The Swiss National Science Foundation has awarded Advanced Grants to make up for the loss of European support. Researchers at ETH Zurich got 6 of the 24 grants. One of them went to Helma Wennemers (LOC). Her group develops special molecules to visualize the cross-​linking of collagen fibres using imaging techniques. They hope to better understand the cross-​linking processes and to provide new molecular tools for the diagnosis and therapy of the corresponding diseases.

Researchers, led by Andrea Burden (IPW) have shown that cases of opioid poisoning and the prescription of opioids have increased sharply in Switzerland over the past 20 years. Although the situation is not as serious as in North America, the risk should not be underestimated.

Among the newly elected members of the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina is Erick Carreira, Professor of Organic Chemistry at the LOC. The Leopoldina is the oldest continuously existing academy of sciences in the world. Its mission is to provide science-based advice to policymakers and the public and to represent German science in international bodies in which mainly national academies are active.

For the 2nd time, AVETH presented the Diversity Award. It honors ETH scientific staff members who contributed significantly to the advocation for diversity and inclusion at ETH Zurich. This year, the Wall of Scientists team has been awarded the first place in the organizational category for the 2022 ETH Diversity Award. With their project (a new compilation of scientists), the team shows that science and talent do not distinguish among gender, place of birth, cultural or ethnic background.