News Release

Gerhard Hess prizes awarded

Grant and Award Announcement

Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft

The following scientists were selected from a total of 38 applications:

Humanities and cultural studies

Dr. Martin Wallraff (33), University of Bonn, Protestant Theology Department, Church History

The 'chronography' of Sextus Julius Africanus, a Christian author of the early third century, is an important testimony of the beginnings of Christian historical thinking. It is one of the few significant works dating back to pre-Constantinian times, even though only fragments could be preserved. Martin Wallraff intends to prepare a critical edition of this work, including in his study - and thus making accessible - material available in Syrian and Armenian.

Biology and medicine

Dr. Thomas Behr (33), University of Göttingen, Department of Nuclear Medicine

Thomas Behr works in the field of radioimmunotherapy with a view to developing radiopharmaceuticals to treat tumours - such as small cell bronchial carcinoma - for which no effective therapies have existed so far. As tumour cells form different types of receptors, specific peptide-based receptor ligands can be developed to be used for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes.

Dr. Dirk Busch (33), Munich Technical University, Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Hygiene

Purifying appropriate T cells is a major problem in implementing specific immunotherapies. Dirk Busch will examine T cells, sorted by means of the newly developed MHC tetramer method, for their suitability in specific immunotherapies. Such T cells will first be studied in animal models with a view to using them also in humans, e.g. for viral infections or tumour diseases.

Dr. Dieter Willbold (34), Institute for Molecular Biotechnology, Jena

Dieter Willbold intends to focus on studying tyrosine kinases, i.e. signal transmitting proteins. He aims at determining the three-dimensional structure of certain domains of these proteins and identifying the amino acids involved in their interaction with other proteins. This will help to study the structural basis of the interactions between certain domains and their cellular and viral binding partners. In the long-term Willbold's research results might help to develop novel immunosuppressive agents.

Dr. Andreas Gansäuer (33), University of Freiburg, Institute for Organic Chemistry

Andreas Gansäuer is working in the field of organic synthesis. In recent years radical reactions have increasingly been used in this area, while the search for favourable synthesis conditions continues unabated. Gansäuer's research project focuses on developing new, highly selective reactions for organic synthesis by using new tailored electron transfer catalysts.

Dr. Katharina Habermann (33), University of Greifswald, Institute for Mathematics and Computer Science

Katharina Habermann's research theme is the study of symplectic Dirac operators, her special interest being the geometrical and topological properties of symplectic manifolds. These mathematically oriented studies are at the same time highly relevant for theoretical physics.

Dr. Ulrich Schollwöck (32) University of Munich, Physics Department

Ulrich Schollwöck is concerned with the density matrix renormalisation group. He has made critical contributions to developing this novel numerical method further which permits handling one- and two-dimensional quantum systems with a high degree of accuracy. Operating in the area of low dimensional magnetism, Schollwöck intends to study materials in high outer magnetic fields by combining this method with others. He will also explore certain reaction-diffusion processes with abnormal kinetics which tend to elude analysis.

Dr. Jürgen H. Smet (32), Max-Planck-Institut für Festk¨rperforschung, Stuttgart

Since in terms of time resolution optical methods are more accurate than purely electronic measuring devices by more than three orders of magnitude, scientists have been trying for a long time to use the high time resolution of optical pulse techniques for characterising electronic circuits. The objective of Jürgen Smet's research work is to extend the range of application of photoconductive sampling and look into ultra-fast processes in low dimensional electronic systems with the highest time resolution at very low temperatures and in high magnetic fields.

Dr. Joachim P. Spatz (30), University of Ulm, Department of Organic Chemistry III/Macromolecular Chemistry and Materials

Joachim Spatz is working in the field of cellular biophysics. He aims at manipulating the structure within a biological cell through adhesion to solid-state surfaces by means of biologically active compounds. The adhesion of cells is a process relevant for cell-cell interaction in living systems. It will help to study the mode of action of individual peptides in contact with the cell membrane as well as the mechanical response of cells to external mechanical disturbances.

Dr. Karsten Weihe (32), University of Constance, Mathematics and Computer Science Department

Karsten Weihe is involved in developing and analysing algorithms, including their implementation and software application to practical problems. The starting point of his research project is the fact that even though there are efficient algorithms for many difficult special cases, such an algorithm becomes useless as soon as the case in hand deviates from the special case. He intends to look into the question of whether algorithms for a "general" case can be derived from existing "special case algorithms".

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