World first from Göttingen: Chemistry professor revolutionizes drug development!

World first from Göttingen: Chemistry professor revolutionizes drug development!

Prof. Dr. Manuel Alcarazo from the University of Göttingen was today awarded a Proof of Concept Grant from the European Research Council (ERC). The funding project entitled “ChemEd” aims to transfer the research results on transfer reagents from a small scale to industrial quantities. The support amounts to 150,000 euros, which is made available for a period of one and a half years. Transfer reagents play a critical role in drug development and plant sciences, but current reagents are often thermally unstable or explosive.

Alcarazo and his team have already developed more robust and cost-effective sulfur-based transfer reagents on a laboratory scale. Collaboration with industry partners will be critical to further synthesize and test these new reagents for commercial applications. Alcarazo was born in 1978 and studied chemistry at the University of Seville. He received his doctorate in 2005 and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Max Planck Institute for Coal Research in Mülheim/Ruhr. He has been a professor of organic chemistry at the University of Göttingen since 2015 and has received several awards for his work.

Supportive measure for the application of research

The ERC's Proof of Concept Grant supports the transition from basic research to practical application. To be considered for this funding, key researchers who already have an ERC research grant must demonstrate that their idea is related to their original project. Applicants are only allowed to submit one application per call, with a maximum of three funding per main project possible. For synergy grants, this number can be increased to six, provided all researchers involved agree.

The seven-year duration of the ERC project ensures continued support for activities not covered by the original funding. These activities include testing and validating ideas and engaging stakeholders for knowledge transfer. The application must include complete documentation based on three main criteria: innovative potential, methodology and project management by the responsible scientist.

Innovation in the chemical industry

To overcome the challenges in the chemical industry, Deloitte has developed the Advanced Materials Systems (AMS) framework. This concept aims to not only provide companies with new materials, but also to develop appropriate solutions that meet specific market needs. Through automated text analysis of global information sources, trends are identified and existing offers are aligned with market needs.

The AMS framework uses big data and machine learning to find and optimize suitable materials and chemical structures. These data-driven approaches enable short development cycles and flexible adaptation to changing market conditions. The development of new materials is therefore viewed holistically and focuses not only on technical innovations, but also on the creation of new business models.

Overall, Alcarazo's award represents a significant step towards the application of innovative research in the chemical industry. The funding not only strengthens the potential for new products in drug development and agriculture, but also paves the way for future collaborations between science and industry.

For more information about the ERC Proof of Concept Grants you can visit the website European Research Council visit. You can find an in-depth analysis of innovations in the chemical industry on the website of Deloitte.