Press release: Alexander von Humboldt Foundation promotes guest chemistry researchers

Nr. 99/2010 - 26.05.2010

(pug) Grants from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation are currently allowing four guests from three continents to conduct research at Göttingen University’s Department of Chemistry. They are members of Prof. Hartmut Laatsch’s research group at the Institute for Organic and Biomolecular Chemistry. Their joint interest in natural materials has brought them to Göttingen from around the world.

Josephat Matasyoh, from Kenya, is focusing on malaria research during his one-year stay. He is looking at substances that can be derived from bacteria and fungi: These substances are fatal to the larva of insects that carry Malaria. Pakistan’s Dr. Naheed Riaz is in Göttingen to discover new antibiotics from marine microorganisms. Broadly speaking, the ocean is also the focus for Hari Datta Bhattarai from Nepal: He is isolating substances within bacteria that can act as so-called anti-fouling substances to halt or prevent the growth of algae, barnacles and other ocean organisms on the hull of ships. Carlos R. Pungitore calls Argentina home. During his stay, he is interested in the genetic make-up of humans and, more specifically, certain enzymes that are responsible for the duplication of DNA molecules during cell division. These offer potential points of attack for antibiotics and cytostatic drugs.

The Alexander von Humboldt Foundation promotes scientific cooperation between exceptional researchers from Germany and abroad. Supporting young scientists as part of German residencies that last several months is an important aspect of the various grant programs. The recipients may select their own research partner in Germany – the Göttingen Department of Chemistry is among the three most-selected locations for this discipline.

Contact:
Prof. Hartmut Laatsch
Georg-August University Göttingen
Department of Chemistry
Institute for Organic and Biomolecular Chemistry
Tammannstrasse 2, 37077 Göttingen
Telephone (0551) 39-3211, Fax (0551) 39-9660
E-Mail: hlaatsc@gwdg.de
Internet: www.chemie.uni-goettingen.de