Catalysis for the future

Cyanobacteria are not only responsible for the greenish colour of many lakes, but could also be the energy source of the future. This is the subject of research for Professor Bärbel Friedrich’s group in the Cluster of Excellence “Unifying Concepts in Catalysis”, or UniCat for short, in Berlin. The enzymes in these bacteria, which are known as hydrolases, could be used as important catalysts for obtaining hydrogen. Catalysts also enable the reactions that Professor Reinhard Schomäcker is researching. His aim is to obtain ethylene, the basic material for numerous plastics, from predominantly useless natural gas. One of the aims of Professor Roderich Süssmuth’s group is to combat a bacterial disease that affects apples. His group breeds microorganisms that, with the help of biological catalysts, synthesise active ingredients that can be used among other things in obtaining antibiotics that can help against resistant germs. All of these various research areas were of interest to Sara Bruun, from Sweden. As a doctoral student in the Graduate School, she is getting to know all of the potential uses of catalysis, working towards a future in which the world’s problems will be solved by small and large molecules.