Andrea Mele got his education at the University of Genova (Italy) where he obtained his Degree in Chemistry (1986, cum laude) defending a thesis in synthetic organic chemistry. His Ph.D dissertation (Dottorato di Ricerca, 1989) with Prof. Carlo Dell’Erba was in physical organic chemistry on the use of heteronuclear NMR (13C and 17O-NMR) for the assessment of electron distribution in model aromatic compounds. He moved as post-doc to Oxford University (UK, 1990-91) joining the NMR unit of the Glycobiology Institute directed by Prof. Raymond A. Dwek. The research project consisted in the development of new NMR pulse sequences for the investigation of oligosaccharides at 13C natural abundance. His academic career started in 1993 at the Politecnico di Milano as Research Assistant. He was promoted Associate Professor of Chemistry in 2002 at the Dipartimento di Chimica, Materiali e Ingegneria Chimica “Giulio Natta” of the Politecnico di Milano. He is currently co-chair of the NMR Facilities (with Dr. Giovanni Fronza, CNR-Milano) and chair of the Mass Spectrometry Laboratory of the Department. His scientific interests are focused in the investigation of non-covalent interactions via NMR and mass spectrometry, with special emphasis on inclusion complexes of cyclodextrins, aggregation phenomena and mesoscopic order in ionic liquids, and encapsulation of organic molecules in the polar core of reversed micelles. He is author/co-author of 85 papers on peer-reviewed journals.

Anna Maria Papini studied chemistry at the University of Florence in Italy. She received her PhD in 1990, developing a multidisciplinary project with special focus on peptide science in the context of an international research pathway (Department of Biochemistry of the University of Sherbrooke, Québec; Department of Peptide Chemistry, Max Planck Institut fuer Biochemie, Martinsried, Germany; Department of Organic Chemistry of the University of Florence, Italy). In 1995, she launched the first Peptide Chemistry Laboratory at the University of Florence. In 1998, she joined for 6 months the University of Cergy-Pontoise in France as a visiting scientist. In 2001 she was appointed professor of the French universities and since 2002 she is associate professor of bioorganic chemistry at the University of Florence. She cofounded with her colleagues bioorganic and medicinal chemists, neuroimmunologists and clinicians the first Interdepartmental Laboratory of Peptide & Protein Chemistry & Biology at the Polo Scientifico e Tecnologico of the University of Florence (Italy). PeptLab is composed of ca. 30 young researchers, Post-docs and PhD students working in 4 different units: synthesis and purification, post-translational peptidomics, and immunochemistry. She introduced the “Chemical Reverse Approach” to develop post-translational modified peptides as synthetic probes to detect and fishing out specific and high affinity antibodies as biomarkers of autoimmune diseases. As proof of concept she developed a synthetic glycopeptide, lead compound of MS PepKit, the diagnostic/prognostic assay detecting specific antibodies in Multiple Sclerosis. In 2003 she founded the first Academic Spin-off of the University of Florence, EspiKem Srl, Contract Research Organization involved in isolation, characterisation, design, and synthesis of post-translational modified peptide, peptidomimetic, and protein antigens for in vitro diagnostics Since 2007 she is President of the Scientific Committee of the start-up company Toscana Biomarkers Srl that she founded as an R&D Biotech for innovative diagnostic/prognostic assays based on post-translational modified peptides as synthetic probes to be used in the identification of specific autoantibodies in sera of patients, as biomarkers of autoimmune diseases. Validation of the assays is aimed to develop useful tools not only as diagnostics but most importantly for the follow-up patients to support clinical evaluation of drugs (new and orphans), in the context of translational researches from bench to bedside. Toscana Biomarkers is bioincubated by Toscana Life Sciences Foundation and located within the Scientific Park of Torre Fiorentina, Siena. The Company, funded by institutional closed-end funds, started its operations in March 2007.Her scientific and technology transfer activities were awarded since the end of nineties with several prizes. In 2008, she was recognised recipient of the 1st Dimitrios Theodoropoulos Memorial Lecture Award for outstanding achievements in peptide sciences, and of the Leonidas Zervas Award 2008 for outstanding contribution made to peptide chemistry.Her main research interests are in the field of chemistry and physics of biomolecules for life sciences studying peptides and proteins involved in the molecular mechanisms of physiological and pathological conditions. She is involved in the development of synthetic & semi-synthetic strategies to co- or post-translational modified peptides, in particular glycoconjugates as diagnostic and prognostic tools for human, animal, and plant diseases. Studying the role of co- or post-translational modifications of peptides and proteins, she performs immunochemistry studies by conventional assays (ELISA) and more innovative ones (biosensors, electrochemical devices, etc.) for diagnosis, prognosis, and therapy of autoimmune diseases, e.g. multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, etc. characterising biomarkers of disease activity with a particular attention to “theranostics” and developing innovative immunotherapeutic strategies. Her strong synthetic approach has always been focused to the development of efficient strategies to exotic amino acids orthogonally protected for peptide synthesis (constrained amino acids, glycosyl and lipophilic amino acids, etc.), cyclic peptide and peptidomimetic analogues (dicarba analogs, clicked peptides, etc.), coupling reagents for solid phase chemistry (amide and ester bond formation) by conventional and alternative approaches (i.e., microwave-assisted). Moreover, in the context of immune-mediated diseases she develops labelled peptide analogues for cancer pre-targeting diagnosis & therapy.

Bill Heggie obtained a 1st class BSc degree in Chemistry from The Herriot Watt University, Edinburgh in 1969. He stared his PhD in synthetic organic chemistry at Imperial College, London, and then moved to Manchester University when his PhD supervisor was awarded a chair there. He has held several post doctoral positions at Harvard University, USA, St. Andrews University, Scotland and Oxford University, England where he worked in the area of synthetic chemistry. He became an invited lecturer in 1974 at the “Universidade Nova de Lisboa”, Portugal. In 1979 he joined the “Instituto Superior de Engenharia” as a lecturer, later becoming a full Professor, where he taught courses in Organic Chemistry and Industrial Organic Chemistry up until 1999. During this period he was a member of the Scientific Counsel of the Chemistry Department. He joined Hovione in 1980 as Assistant Director of Research, becoming Director of Research in 1988. In 1998 he was promoted to Executive Director of Research and Development, a position he held until 2008. He has served on Hovione’s Board of Directors. At the present time Bill Heggie is responsible for Innovation and Product Development in Hovione. His interests are in the area of Process Development for the production of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) and the application of new technologies to this area. He is co-author of several University text books in Portugal, co-author of 10 scientific articles and author of more than 20 patents.

Dr. Bogdan Comanita has a rich and diversified background in chemical engineering, organic chemistry and business. On the technical side he has held positions both in the private and public sector such as the National Research Council of Canada, Apotex Pharmachem and P. Poni Institute of Macromolecular Science. Bogdan’s work experience is multidimensional: from polymer manufacturing to active pharmaceuticals, surface treatment to natural product synthesis, gas phase to solid state chemistry, fundamental to applied R&D, bench scale to industrial scale; he authored more than fifty papers and patents across all these fields, including publications in top chemistry magazines or worldwide, EU, US and Canadian patents. This breadth and depth of experience facilitates his quick understanding of market relevant technical, scientific, regulatory and IP aspects of the entire spectrum of the chemical industry. On the business side he acted in various capacities such as director of marketing and sales Europe for Penn Specialty Chemicals, director of global business development with for Apotex Fermentation and director marketing and sales Pennakem, a member company of the Minfin group. In particular, Dr. Comanita is recognized as a thought leader in marketing sustainable solutions, a hot topic in today’s business environment. He developed from scratch global biobased chemicals markets including 2-methyltetrahydrofuran, the fastest growing solvent market today. He was a lead strategist with the Washington DC based ACS Green Chemistry Institute Chemical Manufacturers Roundtable and sat on the advisory board of several green-chemistry events organized by Infocast in US and GreenPower in EU. Recently, Dr. Comanita was an invited speaker to SOCMA Peer Marketing & Sales Group, the highest professional body of market specialists in the chemical industry in US.Dr. Comanita established MarketChemica to help investors and executives in the chemical and biotech industry distill complex business inputs in market strategies that work. In fact, MCh is the only marketing company specialized in the fine and specialty chemicals providing integrated market research, market intelligence and market communications services for the small and medium size segment. MCh draws its competitive advantage from a combination of a global network of marketing specialists on the ground and cutting edge techniques such as data mining of specialized import-export, technical, scientific and commercial databases around the world. Dr. Comanita holds a MBA degree in Finance & International Management from Richard Ivey School of Business, a PhD in Chemistry from the University of Ottawa and a degree in Chemical Engineering from the Asachi Technical University. Dr. Comanita’s joins our Editorial Board to spearhead the new business section of our magazine in an effort to facilitate crosspollination of ideas between business and technical processes in the fine and specialty chemical enterprise. He can be reached at bogdan@marketchemica.com

Bruce Morimoto received his bachelor of science degree in biochemistry from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), and continued his studies at UCLA receiving his Ph.D. under the mentorship of Professor Daniel E. Atkinson. His PhD thesis focused on the integrative regulation of liver metabolism. He then pursued a post-doctoral fellowship in molecular neurobiology at the University of California Berkeley with Professor Daniel Koshland. Dr. Morimoto then joined the faculty in the Chemistry Department at Purdue University where his independent research focused on the regulation of signal transduction and second messenger production.Dr. Morimoto’s first industrial position was with AMUR Pharmaceuticals as their director of drug discovery and later as the director of research and development. AMUR focused on pro-drug and drug delivery chemistry. He then joined the business development group at Phoenix International Life Sciences specializing in emerging biotechnology companies. Dr. Morimoto also formerly directed the chronic/neuropathic pain program at NeuroMed Technologies (now Zalicus Pharmaceuticals) before joining Allon Therapeutics as their Vice President of Drug Development. His current responsibilities include management of early clinical research, nonclinical and manufacturing activities for the davunetide drug development program, a novel peptide therapeutic in development for the treatment of Progressive Supranuclear Palsy, Alzheimer disease and schizophrenia.

Dirk Spielvogel studied chemistry at the University of Freiburg i. Br. including his Ph.D. studies in the group of Prof. H. Prinzbach, performing research in the fields of unnatural sugar synthesis and biocatalysis. In 2001 he went on to broaden his horizon on chemocatalysis signing on as a DAAD postdoctoral fellow in the group of Prof. S. Buchwald at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His contributions included novel methodology for asymmetric α-arylation methodology as well as new structural insights into Ni-BINAP chemistry. He initiated his industrial career in 2002 in the catalysis development group at Solvias AG in Basel, Switzerland, working flexible as a projects chemist for both the synthesis and the catalysis group. In 2005 he accepted the offer to join Solvias management and become the group leader for the chemical development group. In 2008 he supervised the fusion of both chemical development and catalysis to provide a comprehensive technology based service offering to Solvias’ clients. With increasing demand for integrated chemical and analytical development Dirk subsequently found his role as a senior project manager in 2010, delivering integrated services to Solvias’ clients.As of 2012 Dirk Spielvogel has taken on a new responsibility with F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd. where he acts as a project coordinator in small molecule technical development within Roche’s global Manufacturing Sciences and Technologies organization.His major interests are phase appropriate chemical and analytical development and manufacturing of small molecule active pharmaceutical ingredients. Dirk Spielvogel is the author of several scientific publication and book chapters. He has further been named as an inventor on two patent applications. Lastly, he has presented scientific lectures at various conferences including OPR&D, SCI and Solvias Science Day. In 2012, the Swiss Chemical Society has awarded the prestigious Sandmeyer Award to Dirk Spielvogel and a team of Solvias colleagues for their work relating to an “Industrial Synthesis of Protoporphyrin IX”.

I started my undergraduate study in chemical engineering at Laval University (Quebec City, Canada) in 1990. Subsequently, I obtained my first graduate studies diploma from the Technical University of Berlin (Germany) in 1994 and then moved on to Kyoto University (Japan) to complete a Master’s degree in 1996. In addition, I had the opportunity to work for a technology-oriented start-up company for a period of one year until 1997. I completed my doctoral degree at the University of Technology Aachen (Germany) in the field of heterogeneous catalysis to develop new chemical processes. I joined Lonza in March 2001 after completing my PhD. I was in charge of reaction calorimetry and reaction engineering in process development. The work included RC-1 safety analysis, experimental design, reaction simulation, Batch Plus support, laboratory automation, and on-line reaction analysis. In February 2003, Lonza started a new project called Microreactor Technology and I became at the same time the Project Leader until July 2007. From August 2007 to July 2008 I worked as Associate Professor at the University of Ottawa. I re-joined Lonza in September 2008 with the goal to pursue Microreactor Technology and bring this technology as a standard method for large scale production.

Ian Grayson was educated in Stafford, England, and studied at Cambridge University, under the supervision of Stuart Warren, receiving his PhD in 1977. After post-doctoral studies with Wolfgang Oppolzer in Geneva, he worked as a research chemist at Lonza’s plant in Visp, Swizterland. Returning to the UK in 1985, he joined Laporte as a development chemist, having the responsibility for scale-up and plant introduction of many fine chemical processes for pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals at the Fine Organics site in Middlesbrough. On the purchase of Laporte by Degussa in 2001, he worked for the Technology and R&D Management Department in Degussa’s Fine Chemicals Business Unit. He is now involved in new technologies and public relations for Degussa Exclusive Synthesis. I believe that one of most satisfying aspects of work as a process development chemist is to see the reaction run successfully on the plant, and for every batch to run with a consistent yield and quality. The reward is when you see your product on the centrifuge or in the distillation receiver, looking the same as when you made it in the laboratory. One of the memorable moments was starting a Grignard reaction in diethyl ether on a 5000 lts scale, with more than 100 kg of magnesium in the reactor. And a golden rule: whatever eventualities you prepare for in process development, when you get to the production plant, something you have never envisaged will certainly happen.

Ian Lennon graduated from the University of St. Andrews in 1985 with a BSc in chemistry then worked for Merck, Sharp & Dohme Harlow, Essex in drug discovery for 4 years.In 1989 he left Merck to study for a PhD with Steve Ley at Imperial College, London, working on a synthesis of the ionophore antibiotic tetronasin. After completion of his PhD he carried out an industrial post-doc with Parke-Davis in Cambridge, UK.In 1993 Ian joined a small start-up company called Chiros and was soon promoted to Group Leader of Chemocatalysis. Chiros added drug discovery to its chiral technology portfolio and was launched on the London Stock Exchange as Chiroscience in 1994.In 1995 Ian was given the opportunity to work with Barry Trost at Stanford University to evaluate his palladium(0) catalysed asymmetric allylic alkylation technology, for which Chiroscience obtained an exclusive license in 1997.In 1996 the chiral technology function of Chiroscience was ring fenced and called Technology Services and became Chirotech Technology Ltd in 1998. A highlight of Ian¡¦s career was the leadership of the team that developed the manufacturing route for travoprost, a prostaglandin analogue for Alcon Laboratories. The molecule has 5 chiral centres and two stereo-defined olefins, which required 22 synthetic steps. The team produced material for toxicology and clinical trials. Ian was promoted to Head of Collaborative Research and was responsible for all of the external projects funded by fine chemical and pharmaceutical companies.In 1999 Chirotech was purchased by Ascot and along with Mitchell Cotts in West Yorkshire, became known as Ascot Fine Chemicals. In 2000 Ian¡¦s responsibilities were extended to include management of the chemocatalysis core research team, developing new applications for Chirotech¡¦s in-licensed technology, including DuPhos, Phanephos, the Noyori/Ikariya ketone hydrogenation¡¦s and Trost technology. The team is also involved in the development of new ligands for asymmetric hydrogenation. Ascot was acquired by The Dow Chemical Company in 2001 and Chirotech is now part of the Dowpharma business of The Dow Chemical Company. Ian is currently an Application Development Scientist for Chemocatalysis and is involved with the development of Dowpharma¡¦s asymmetric chemocatalysis capability, promotion of chiral technology and with the management of customer projects.¡§Whilst working on a synthesis of tert-leucine I proposed to react 2-bromo-3,3-dimethyl butyric acid with ammonia to produce the desired amino acid. Many colleagues in the laboratory looked at this and said it would not work as the bromide was neopentyl and too hindered to react. I carried out reaction anyway and obtained an 80% yield with the racemate and an 85% yield of (S)-amino acid starting with the (S)-bromo acid.The reaction proceeds by forming a ƒÑ-lactone, hence the double inversion seen in the single isomer reaction. The lesson I learnt was not to talk myself out of trying a reaction just because it looks like it will not work. You can learn more by carrying out the reaction, than just deciding not to try. Also, an hour in the library (now more likely to be Scifinder) can save a week in the laboratory.

Joe Pont carried out his undergraduate studies in chemistry at Yale University. He then joined the research group of Prof. E. C. Taylor at Princeton University, where he earned his PhD exploring the scope and limitations of 1,2,4-triazine intramolecular Diels-Alder reactions, and the application of this chemistry to the synthesis of novel folic acid analogues. Beginning in 1988, he spent the first eleven years of his industrial career with American Cyanamid in Princeton, NJ USA and Schwabenheim, Germany, in successive roles as a Research Chemist, Group Leader and Research Manager in Cyanamid’s agrochemical discovery unit. In 1999, he then moved from research into the commercial world, initially for two years with Kingchem Inc (USA) as Director of Marketing, and then on to Lonza in successive commercial and R&D roles in custom manufacturing: as Key Account Manager based in the US (2001 – 2005); Head of Sales & Business Development, Europe/ROW based in Basel (2006 – 2007); Head of Exclusive Synthesis R&D based in Visp (2008 – 2009) and Global VP of Marketing and Key Account Management (2010-1011). On June 1, 2011, he was appointed CEO of the Warner Babcock Institute for Green Chemistry, an organization that provides contract invention services for all industries that are touched by the chemical enterprise. Joe Pont is the author of 12 scientific publications and has been named as inventor on more than 9 international patent applications.

Klaus Laue studied Chemistry at the University of Münster, Germany, and the University of Toledo, USA. For his Ph.D. studies he joined the working group of Prof. Haufe (Münster) and worked on stereoselective synthesis and fluorine chemistry. As post-doctoral fellow he changed his focus to homogeneous catalysis and had the opportunity to stay for one year in the working group of Prof. R. Noyori at Nagoya University (Japan).In 2000 Klaus began his industrial career with Carbogen Amcis ( Switzerland). Starting off as a research chemist he became promoted to a project leader within two years and was responsible for numerous scale-ups of API´s for of clinical development. After eight years in process R&D, he was appointed as a manager of a pilot plant (under GMP). Two years later he took the responsibility for a multi-purpose plant for the production of highly active API´s. Beside the work in his plant in Switzerland, he implemented and validated a cleaning process in a HiPo plant at the mother company Dishman (near Ahmedabad, India).In 2012 Klaus went back into process R&D as a group leader at Solvias. He is now working with a group offering comprehensive process development and catalytic screening service for homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysts using high throughput screening work flow. This group is specialised in in integral projects involving various groups like catalysis and process development, manufacturing, analytical and solid state development.

Luciano Caglioti was born in Rome on 11/13/1933.
Since Feb. 1, 1971 he has been Professor of Organic Chemistry at the University of Rome "La Sapienza".
He has published more than a hundred scientific papers, most of which have appeared in international journals. He has 8 industrial patents to his credit, and is the author of three books, two on Organic Chemistry and one on Chemistry of Natural Substances, which are used as textbooks in many Italian universities.He published a book on popular science, " I due volti della chimica" (The Two Faces of Chemistry) for EST (Mondadori Publishing House), with a preface by Primo Levi, translated into English by MIT Press. He has also published a short essay, "Madre Natura, anzi Matrigna", printed by Sperling & Kupfer, 1993.
From July 1980 through Aug. 1990 he was Director of the (Finalized) Project of the National Research Council (C.N.R.), "Fine and Secondary Chemistry".
He is a member of the New York Academy of Science, of Accademia dei XL, of Hungarian Academy of Science, of Accademia di Modena.He is part of the Commission for planning in the field of the Pharmaceutical Industry.
He has been Chairman of the Italian Committee for the Weizmann Institute of Research (Israel).
In 1988, Minister Ruberti appointed him co-ordinator of the Commission for the National Plan for Research in Chemistry.
In 1989 Ministers Ruberti and Ruffolo appointed him among the members of a preparatory committee for the National Program for Environmental research.
He was elected as Faculty representative, to the National University Council (CUN).Since 1994, he has been co-ordinator of the Strategic Project of CNR for utilization of results from public research in the industrial sphere.
In 1993 Minister U. Colombo appointed him as a member of the committee for the drafting of the Research Plan in Chemistry.
Since 1993 he has been chairman of ISRIM (Superior Institute for the Study and Research in Material Science).He is the Italian delegate in the EEC Commission for Environmental Research.
A NOTE FROM THE EXPERT
"I remember I was once awarded with an an honoris causa degree in Engineering at the Polytechnic University in Budapest. After the ceremony, I had lunch together with the Faculty Dean and the President of the Institute and a number of other colleagues of mine. I was sitting right between the two and they started speaking in Latin to put me at ease, since I guess they weren't keen on speaking English and they had probably learned about my school background and must have thought I spoke Latin rather well.The problem was that I could not speak any Latin even though I had studied it for 8-9 years back in the old school days. So I answered to them in English. They kept on speaking in Latin and I responded in English throughout the whole lunch. What a very poor figure I made!"

Dr Mahmoudian’s career spans some 20 years in the biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and chemical sectors. He joined Merck & Co. USA in 2007 with responsibility for external partnerships and outsourcing activities in vaccines & biologics on a global basis. In 2005 he joined Rohm & Haas Biotech USA, as the Global Director of R&D, Alliances & Partnerships in Biotechnology (US $500 million sales), directing activities in research centres globally (USA, Europe, China, Japan), covering a diverse portfolio including healthcare, biopharmaceuticals, and biosciences. From 2002 to 2005 he was employed at Eastman Biotech USA, as the Head of Biotechnology & Strategic Alliances worldwide, responsible for R&D, alliances, and managing the growth and development of its BioProducts portfolio. From 1989 to 2002, he worked at GlaxoSmithKline England, in a variety of research, technology and management roles of increasing responsibility, managing cross functional teams in Biotechnology that led to the discovery, development, and market launch of 6 blockbuster drugs with annual sales in excess of $15 billion. Prior to 1989 he was Senior Research Fellow at ICI BioProducts (Zeneca, Avecia) developing biotech routes to beta-blockers as cardiovascular agents.Dr Mahmoudian earned his M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Biotechnology from Imperial College at the University of London, England, and was awarded a B.Sc. in Biochemistry and Human Physiology from the University of Newcastle, England. He currently serves on the International Editorial Advisory Board of six scientific journals, is an elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC) and has numerous publications and patents to his name.Dr Mahmoudian's key accomplishments include 1) establishment of two biosciences business ventures, at Eastman and Rohm & Haas (2002 – 2007), via partnerships, licensing deals, and joint ventures, 2) discovery and development of six blockbusters at GlaxoSmithKline R&D, and 3) advisor to life sciences venture funds in Philadelphia USA, consulting on business plans and market & technology assessments, resulting in investment opportunities in several early to mid-stage biotech companies.

Michael Quirmbach studied chemistry at the University of Clausthal; Germany and the, University of Salford (UK). He then moved to the Max Planck Research Group "Asymmetric Catalysis" in Rostock, working on the development of new chiral bifunctional ligands and their application in asymmetric catalysis under the supervision of Prof. A. Börner. He conducted postdoctoral studies in the laboratories of Prof. G. A. Molander at the Universities of Colorado and Pennsylvania (US) working on the first totalsynthesis of Variecolin using a Sm(II)diiodide promoted Cascade reaction.He started his industrial career as a development chemist at Albany Molecular Research (AMRI), NY, moved than to Solvias AG and was appointed project leader in their chemical development group. During his tenure at Solvias he successfully developed numerous processes for Solvias' customers. He than joined Speedel in 2004 working on the development of new renin inhibitors and in 2005 completed his MBA from La Salle University, Philadelphia. In 2006, Michael Quirmbach, rejoined Solvias as a Business Development Manager Synthesis/Catalysis and was appointed as a Product Manager in 2007 for the Synthesis/Catalysis group. In 2010 he was promoted to Head of Sales & Business Development, North America. Since June 2011 he has been a Senior Manager Sales & Business Development at Dr. Reddys’ Laboratories SA - Custom Pharmaceutical Services. Major interest are in the area of asymmetric synthesis, homogeneous catalysis and Fluorine chemistry.Michael Quirmbach is the author of 10 scientific publications and has been named as inventor on more than 30 international patent applications. In addition, he serves as a peer reviewer for the Journals of Organic Chemistry and Organic Letters.

Born 1969 in Tübingen, Germany, Ph D thesis finished in 1997 in Organometallic Chemistry atLudwig Maximilians University of Munich with Prof. Wolfgang Beck, continued to work as post doctoral assistant until end of 1998. 1999 – 2001 Research and Process Development for manufacturing of organometallic Platinum group catalysts at Degussa. In the same unit, from 2001 until 2005 he was heading the applied technology group, responsible for recovery of Precious Metals from industrial homogeneous catalytic processes. Meanwhile, being a member of Umicore he changed his position in 2005 to be a “Marketing Director”, taking responsibility of developing new, strategic market fields related to Umicore’s Precious Metals Chemistry business.Current interests are all new applications related to the use of Precious metals. Among them are chiral catalysis, coupling catalysis, metathesis reactions, manufacture of functional surfaces, photo active compounds, electronic materials and others.

Born 1956 in Hoofddorp, Netherlands (near Amsterdam), Ph D thesis finished in 1985 in organic chemistry at University of Groningen with Prof H. Hogeveen. Since 1985 to 1988 Design of new fragrance molecules for Flavour and Fragrances Company : Quest International.
Since 1988 various positions in the field of bio-organic chemistry R&D at DSM Research, Geleen, NL ( e.g in fields of agrochem, sweeteners, semi-synthetic antibiotics and pharma intermediates)
He is Corporate scientist ‘routescouting and selection’; activities aimed at integration of technology development in various competences into integrated process design for (pharmaceutical) intermediates. From this role also acting as Program Manager of the DSM Corporate Research program part on Advanced Synthetic Methods (ASM). In this program, DSM is developing new technologies in the direction where we think future industrial synthesis will go ( e.g. including integration of chemistry and biotechnology).

Current research interests focus on chirality, amino acid and peptide chemistry, design of industrially viable breakthrough routes and integration of biosynthesis and organic chemistry.

Prof. Dr. Volker Hessel, born 1964, studied chemistry at Mainz University. He got the PhD level in the field of organic chemistry in 1993. The topic of his PhD thesis was structure-property relationships of special supra-molecular structures, micelles and lyotropic liquid crystals, constructed by so-called bi- or multi-polar amphiphiles with rigid core unit.Since 1994 Prof. Dr. Hessel is an employee of the Institut für Mikrotechnik Mainz GmbH and since 1996 he became group leader for microreaction technology. In 1999 he was appointed Head of the Microreaction Technology Department, formed at that time, meanwhile named Chemical Process Technology. His fields of research comprise micro process engineering for mixing, fine chemistry, fuel processing and heterogeneous catalysis. In 2002 Prof. Dr. Hessel was appointed Vice Director R&D at IMM and in 2007 as Director R&D at IMM.Prof. Dr. Hessel is author or co-author of more than 180 peer-reviewed publications (with 25 extended reviews) and more than 180 conference papers with regard to chemical micro process engineering, 15 book chapters, and 5 books.In July 2005, Prof. Dr. Hessel was appointed as part-time professor for the chair of “Micro Process Engineering” at Eindhoven University of Technology, TU/e. This professorship is under the umbrella of the Chemical Reactor Engineering group of Prof. Dr.ir. Jaap Schouten in the Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry. Prof. Dr. Hessel was appointed as honorary professor at the Technical Chemistry Department at Technical University of Darmstadt in 2009. Prof. Dr. Hessel received the AIChE award “Excellence in Process Development Research” in 2007. His Hirsch number (scientific impact measure) is 28.A.o. Prof. Dr. Hessel was AIChE chair (US) “Microprocess Engineering”(2005-2008); elected board member of the German industrial platform IPVT; member of the editorial boards of “Catalysis Today”, “Chemical Engineering Journal”, “Chemical Engineering Technology”, “Recent Patents on Chemical Engineering”, and “Current Organic Chemistry”; Topical chair at AIChE Spring conferences 2006+2007 and organising committee member of symposia held at CHISA-6, ECCE-6 (EPIC), EUChemS and WCCE-8 as well as chair of the program committees of the “Conference on Smart Synthesis and Technologies for Organic Processes” (SynTOP) and the “International Conference on Microreaction Technology 10” (IMRET-10).

Walter Navarrini graduated in Chemistry at the University of Milano in 1982. In 1985 he obtained a postgraduate degree at the Politecnico of Milano with a thesis on the oxidation of aromatic compounds at the School “Perfezionamento in Metodologie Chimiche e Analitiche della Chimica Organica Fine, A. Quilico”. In 1985 he obtained a postgraduate position at Clemson University, S.C., USA, working on the synthesis and reactivity of perfluoro oxaziridines. The research project was oriented towards the development of perfluorinated oxaziridines and epoxides in the group of Prof. D. D. DesMarteau. In 1987 Walter joined Ausimont, now Solvay-Solexis SPA, as senior chemist working on basic research in fluorine chemistry at the research center “Istituto Donegani” in Novara, Italy, The research was focused on new “formally unsaturated” fluorinated monomers like perfluoro oxaziridines and diaziridines. In 1990 Walter became responsible for the Ausimont “Advanced Fluorine Chemistry Group” at the “Istituto Donegani”. In that period he directed the research towards new synthetic methodologies for the preparation of perfluoropolyether monomers as well as perfluoro sulfonic monomers.In 1991 he moved with his group to the Ausimont R&D Center in Bollate, near Milano, while maintaining a leadership position in the “Advanced Fluorine Chemistry Group” at the Ausimont R&D Center. Here the research was primarily focused on the industrial development of the organic hypofluorites technology for the preparation of linear and cyclic fluoro-vinylether monomers. These studies allowed the identification of new industrial methodology assets for the preparation of perfluorinated monomers as well as amorphous and crystalline fluoropolymers. An appropriate extension of this technology to functionalized ipofluorite led to the development of a new industrial methodology for the preparation of perfluorinated ionomers for fuel cells and lithium battery applications.In 1999 Walter became responsible for a three-year research cooperative project between Ausimont and “La Sapienza” University in Rome. The project was focused on the generation of new lithium battery electrolytes based on SSC perfluorinated ionomeric material.In 2003, following Ausimont acquisition by Solvay to form Solvay-Solexis, he obtained the Fellow position as consultant on perfluoropolyethers peroxides chemistry and new perfluoro-vinylether monomers preparation. Since March 2005 Walter is professor at the Politecnico of Milano, assigned to the Solvay-Solexis academic chair at the Politecnico di Milano, where he joined the Nano Structured Fluorinate Material group directed by Prof. G. Resnati .Walter is the inventor of more than 60 international patents on hypofluorites, perfluorodiacyl peroxide, perfluorinated monomer, perfluororubber, new perfluorinated amorphous material, ionomeric material for lithium battery electrolytes, new environmental friendly hydrofluorocarbons, HFE (HydroFluoroEthers) products and innovative methodology preparation. The current scientific interests are centred on perfluoropolyether in biochemical applications, surface modification by means of free radical as well as ionic fluorination reagents.