Ben Feringa

When computers were invented, they were as big as fridges - now they come in handy smartphone format. Technology is constantly shrinking their size down to the nano level: chemist Ben Feringa is constructing tiny molecules that can move on command and perform complex tasks. These "machines" are about one nanometer in size. By comparison, a human hair is 100,000 nanometers thick. This discovery could open up new avenues for energy storage, data processing and medicine. The nanomachines could, for example, be injected into the body with a drug and ensure that it only works at a specific point. Ben Feringa inspires us with his charismatic appearance and takes us on a journey into the world of molecular switches and motors.

Bernard "Ben" L. Feringa is Professor of Organic Chemistry at the University of Groningen, Netherlands. In 2016, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his "Molecular Machines" together with Jean-Pierre Sauvage and Fraser Stoddart.

Introduction: Prof. Dr. Christine Selhuber-Unkel, Lautenschläger Research Award Winner, IMSEAM at Heidelberg University

Language: English

As part of the International Science Festival - Geist Heidelberg

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