Professor Kersting received his Bachelor’s degree in chemistry in 1989, his Master’s degree in the same year, and his PhD in 1993 in the group of Bernt Krebs from the University of Muenster. He was a postdoctoral fellow of the DFG in Ken Raymond’s lab at the University of California at Berkeley from 1994 to1995. After completing his habilitation under H. Vahrenkamp at the University of Freiburg in Breisgau, he accepted a professorship in the Department of Inorganic Chemistry at the University of Leipzig in 2004.

Professor Kersting’s research group at the University of Leipzig focuses on three main topics: bioinorganic chemistry, supramolecular coordination chemistry, and molecular magnetism. In the area of bioinorganic chemistry, the group’s goal is to elucidate the mechanisms of metalloenzymes by synthesizing and studying biomimetic model systems. Supramolecular coordination chemistry describes the chemical synthesis and characterization of nanometer-sized molecules that act as “hosts” based on their high and specific binding affinity for certain “guest” molecues. Investigation of the basic and applied aspects of magnetism at the molecular level, rather than as a bulk property, forms the basis of the Kersting group’s third research facet.

http://www.uni-leipzig.de/~bkerst/index.htm

Professor Steed obtained BS and PhD (Derek Tocher, 1993) degrees in chemistry from the University College London. Subsequently, he carried out postdoctoral research with Jerry Atwood as a NATO fellow at the University of Alabama and the University of Missouri and was then appointed Lecturer at Kings College London. In 2004 he became a professor in the Department of Chemistry at Durham University.

The working group of Professor Steed at Durham University concentrates on several diverse topics within the category of supramolecular chemistry. In the area of molecular sensors, a molecular device based on calixarene selectively binds two halide ions via hydrogen bonding and photochemically signals binding by means of pyrene moieties. The Steed group has also developed a series of rigid bis-urea building blocks that display novel gelation properties. Structure determination of supramolecular complexes by means of single-crystal or powder X-ray diffraction is also a focus of the Steed group.

Professor Reinaud received her Master’s degree in chemistry in 1984 and her PhD (M. Maumy) in 1987 from the ESPCI in Paris, after which she carried out postdoctoral research under D. Mansuy at Paris Descartes. She then became a researcher at the CNRS for Catalysis (M. Maumy, ESPCI, Paris) and was a visiting scientist at Delaware University in the United States from 1992 to 1994. From 1995 to 2000, Professor Reinaud was a researcher at the CNRS at ENSCP (Paris) and since 2001 has been a full professor in the Department of Chemistry at the Paris Descartes University.

The primary goal of Professor Reinaud’s research group at the Paris Descartes University is to study the behavior of metal ions within a supramolecular environment. The group has established a methodology for functionalizing the calyx[6]arene core with the goal of fine-tuning its host-guest properties with nonmetallic and metallic guests. These complexes serve as model systems which aid in the elucidation of the mechanisms of metalloenzymes as well as self-assembly processes (micelles and membranes) and receptors in biological systems.

Professor Raymond received his BA in chemistry from Reed College in 1964 and his PhD (Fred Basolo / James A. Ibers) from Northwestern University in 1968, after which he became a professor in the Department of Chemistry at the University of California at Berkeley. Professor Raymond is also a senior scientist in the Chemical Sciences Division of the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab.

Professor Raymond’s group at the University of California at Berkeley concerns itself with the design of specific chelating agents for metal ions, encompassing projects that have implications for medicinal chemistry and materials science alike. The group’s broad research scope includes the coordination chemistry of iron in biological systems, catalytic metal-ligand clusters, lanthanide coordination chemistry and application as MRI contrast agents, luminescent lanthanide agents for imaging, and actinide coordination chemistry.

http://www.cchem.berkeley.edu/knrgrp/home.html

Julius Rebek, Jr. obtained the Ph.D. degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (1970) for studies in peptide chemistry with Professor D.S. Kemp. As an Assistant Professor at the University of California at Los Angeles (1970-1976) he developed the threephase test for reactive intermediates. In 1976 he moved to the University of Pittsburgh where he rose to the rank of Professor of Chemistry and developed cleft-like structures for studies in molecular recognition. In 1989 he returned to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he was the Camille Dreyfus Professor of Chemistry and devised synthetic, self-replicating molecules. In July of 1996, he moved his research group to The Scripps Research Institute to become the Director of The Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology, where he continues to work in molecular recognition and self-assembling systems.

The main fields of Professor Rebek’s research are molecular diversity, molecular recognition, self-replicating and self-assembling systems.

http://www.scripps.edu/skaggs/rebek/