"The non-profit Scimus et Sciemus Foundation established by the founders Hannelore and Bernhard Kissler serves to promote basic research, particularly in the field of pure organic chemistry. The foundation is based on the belief in the power of the natural sciences to gradually unravel the world so that people will one day recognise what holds the world together at its core."
furthermore it says
"In his 1971 essay "Die Bedeutung des Schönen in der exakten Naturwissenschaft", Werner Heisenberg reminded us of the eminent creative power inherent in beauty as a postulated principle of existence itself at all times for the discovery of truth. Things that are perceived as beautiful are linked to high symmetry in nature as well as in the visual arts, in physics and mathematics with the symmetry of equations, in chemistry with the symmetry of molecules and structures. Therefore, the foundation, resting in the belief in the connection between aesthetics and scientific knowledge, honours the application of symmetry principles and the research of highly symmetrical compounds in chemistry and its interdisciplinary sciences."
The closing date for applications is 28 February 2025. To the application form
Nomination deadline is on 28 February 2025. To the application and nomination form
Every two years, the Foundation honours scientific work that fulfils one or more of the following criteria:
1. Symmetry and aesthetics in chemistry
2. Synthesis of highly symmetrical compounds in chemistry
3. Innovative application of symmetry in chemical systems
4. Importance of symmetry in molecular structures
5. Importance of symmetry in biochemistry and molecular biology
6. Influence of symmetry on chemical reactivity and synthesis
7. Presentation of symmetry principles and their application
8. Practical applications of symmetry in chemistry
Furthermore, the Foundation awards a one-off prize for the first synthesis of
1,2,3,4-all-cis-tetravinyl-cyclobutane
2,4,6,8-tetramethylenetricyclo [3.3.0.0 3,7] octane
The successful synthesis is endowed with a prize of 2000 euros each.
| 2024 | Marcel Bamberg, University of California, Berkeley/USA |
Bernhard Erwin Kissler, winner of the Jugend Forscht prize and recipient of the Sophie Bernthsen Prize, studied chemistry and biochemistry in Heidelberg and completed his doctorate in 1987 under Rolf Gleiter on through-bond interactions in strained hydrocarbons. After a research stay at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, he switched to the European patent system.
Hannelore Louise Kissler, pharmaceutical representative for 1,4-dihydropyridines and other calcium channel antagonists, has accompanied her husband on their life's journey together since their days in Heidelberg.
The couple are at home not only in Latin but also in several modern languages, share a love of Italian opera and, in the natural sciences, an interest in molecular biology and cosmology. The couple also share a fascination for wreck diving and, last but not least, a love of creating sophisticated dishes for the small Michelin-starred kitchen at home.
Literary luggage:
Michel de Montaigne, Essais
Per Lagerkvist, Den fordringsfulla gästen
François-Marie Arouet, Candide ou l'optimisme
L. Annaeus Seneca, Epistulae Morales
Dr Bernhard E. Kissler (Founder)
Prof Dr Stefanie Dehnen, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology and GDCh President 2024/25
Dr Tom Kinzel, GDCh Managing Director
Prof Dr Martin Oestreich, Technische Universität Berlin
Prof Dr Birgit Weber, Friedrich Schiller University Jena