When electrons sing in harmony — and sense the shape of their home
Peer-Reviewed Publication
Updates every hour. Last Updated: 21-Dec-2025 20:11 ET (22-Dec-2025 01:11 GMT/UTC)
Freiburg chemist Dr Tobias Schnitzer receives €1.5 million from the Vector Foundation to develop sustainable amidation reactions.
These reactions do not require toxic reagents and are highly energy-efficient. Schnitzer also relies on Artificial Intelligence in his research.
Amidations play a major role in the chemical industry. The new process could make an important contribution to more environmentally friendly production.
Researchers have made a significant advance toward the goal of using bacteria – rather than fossil fuels – to produce ethylene, a key chemical in the production of many plastics. In a new study, scientists identified the enzyme that certain bacteria use to break down organic sulfur compounds to create ethylene. They also, for the first time, were able to extract the enzyme from bacteria to study its function and structure.