Meitner-Humboldt Research Award for Ron Naaman

Ron Naaman © Weizmann Institute of Science Recognized internationally as a pioneer of electronic spin interactions in organic molecules, Professor Ron Naaman, from the Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel, has been awarded the Meitner-Humboldt Research Award by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. The prize is intended to support collaborations between Israeli and German research institutions. He will be collaborating closely with physics and chemistry groups, in particular with Professor Helmut Zacharias' group, at the new Center for Soft Nanoscience (SoN) at the University of Münster. Ron Naaman has a history of influencing the fields of spintronics and photochemical reactions and is currently known for his innovative work on the Chiral Induced Spin Selectivity (CISS) Effect. In his research, Ron Naaman tunes electrochemical processes to investigate the curious dissymmetry of nature, which has merely one type of two mirror-image molecules, including the essential DNA, protein, sugar, and peptide molecules. His work has profound implications for understanding electron transfer processes in biological systems and for the ability to create safe new drugs, pesticides and fertilizers. Because of the potential significant impact his collaboration with Helmut Zacharias's group will have on future research in the area of chiral and helical molecules, the Meitner-Humboldt Research Prize is financing Ron Naaman's cooperation with SoN researchers for the next five years.