Research

An international team of researchers including the Chair of Medicinal Chemistry (Prof. Dr. Peter Gmeiner) has succeeded in “filming” the activation of an important receptor. They froze the involved molecules at different points in time and photographed them under the electron microscope. They were t...

Diseases are usually restricted to a certain organ or tissue in the human body. However, medications are typically not only administered to the site of disease but to the entire body. This can damage healthy tissue and cause unwanted side effects. To overcome this problem photopharmacology aims to d...

Grignard reagents are by far the most well-known organometallic compounds. Although more than hundred years old, these reagents are still today essential in organic synthesis and large scale industrial processes. These complexes are based on the metal magnesium but there is increasing interest in re...

Molecular photoswitches are only nanometers in size and can change their structure and properties when exposed to light. Molecular photoswitches are of great importance in many applied areas ranging from the development of light-controlled drugs, solar energy harnessing, to the creation of optically...

Functional nanomaterials could soon control the activity of neurons in the brain. By using this minimally-invasive method, Prof Dr. Danijela Gregurec, Professor for Sensory Sciences at the Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy, hopes to revolutionize the treatment of neurological disorders such as de...

Lithium aluminium hydride (LiAlH4) is a versatile bulk reagent for reduction of ketones to alcohols, or imines to amines. This is a stoichiometric process, needing a lot of LiAlH4 and creating quite some lithium and aluminium waste. Recently the Harder group showed that the imine-to-amine conversion...

Research disciplines have to work together closely to develop new bioactive compounds. To make this collaboration even more efficient in the future, FAU has set up a new research center called “New Bioactive Compounds” (FAU NeW). In this center, successful international and interdisciplinary teams o...