For Ilmenau chemist Henrike Zacher, it is a great honor: the completed Master’s student at the TU Ilmenau, who is now working on her doctoral thesis at the Institute of Chemistry and Bioengineering under Professor Robert Geitner, was selected in a highly competitive, international review process to take part in the 74th Nobel Laureate Meeting in Lindau on Lake Constance. There she will meet and exchange ideas with more than 30 Nobel Laureates and 600 young scientists from all’over the world.
The Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting, founded in 1951, has since inspired generations of young scientists by bringing them together with Nobel Prize winners. The Nobel Prize is regarded as the highest scientific award in chemistry, physics, medicine, literature and for peace efforts. For Henrike Zacher, being able to engage in a personal exchange with the winners of this prize and at the same time establish international networks with like-minded young scientists all’over the world is a unique opportunity:
"I am particularly looking forward to learning from their experiences and gaining inspiration for my own work. I am excited to become part of a global community and to spend a unique, inspiring week that will help me both scientifically and personally."
Henrike Zacher was an outstanding student in the Biotechnical Chemistry program at TU Ilmenau, studying the chemistry of living nature and its application in biotechnology. Since January, she has been working as a doctoral candidate at the Ilmenau School of Green Electronics (ISGE ), which is funded by the Carl Zeiss Foundation, on the development of sustainable, resource-saving electronics based on electrically conductive polymers. Inspired by biology, she wants to modify these chemical substances consisting of macromolecules in such a way that they are able to repair oxidative damage independently.
In her Bachelor’s and Master’s studies at TU Ilmenau, Henrike Zacher combined synthetic organic chemistry with photophysical characterization techniques to increase the water solubility of thiazole dyes and thus expand their application as ion sensors, which are needed to detect dangerous anions, for example. She also delved into the field of polymer chemistry to bind the thiazole molecules to polymer backbones. This is necessary, for example, to enable continuous monitoring and lower consumption of reagents.
Since the beginning of her studies and also in her Bachelor’s and Master’s theses, Henrike Zacher has achieved nothing but excellent grades, which, according to her professor and mentor Robert Geitner,
"given the interdisciplinary nature of her studies, which include chemistry, biology and engineering, is impressive." In his letter of recommendation for the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting, Prof. Geitner describes Henrike Zacher as an "outstanding chemist who combines synthetic and analytical skills to solve highly complex interdisciplinary research questions."
In addition to her outstanding academic career, Henrike Zacher is also involved in extracurricular activities. In recent years, she has carried out chemistry experiments as part of the Ilmenau Science Night and the Student Information Day, and at the TU Ilmenau’s Children’s University she has been involved with the next generation of scientists.
