Professor Katja Loos wins Research Award of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation
Katja Loos, Professor in Polymer Science and Applied Chemistry at the University of Groningen, has been awarded the Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel Research Award of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, Germany. This prestigious Research Award is awarded to scientists and scholars from abroad, internationally renowned in their field, who completed their doctorates less than 18 years ago and who in future are expected to continue producing cutting-edge achievements which will have a seminal influence on their discipline beyond their immediate field of work.
The Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel Research Award is presented to Prof.dr. Katja Loos because of her impressive research portfolio in the field of sustainability. She pioneered the field of enzymatic polymerizations, especially the bio catalytic synthesis of polysaccharides and polyamides and introduced complete green polymerization routes via the use of sustainable monomers. In this area she has been and is far and away the dominant figure in terms of developing new concepts and reporting the most creative and practically important applications.

Award winners are honoured for their outstanding research record and invited to conduct a research project of their own choice in Germany in close collaboration with fellow experts at a research institution in Germany. Prof.dr. Katja Loos will cooperate with the University of Hamburg that just recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the University of Groningen.
About the Humboldt Foundation
The Alexander von Humboldt Foundation promotes academic cooperation between excellent scientists and scholars from abroad and from Germany, and is primarily funded by the German Federal Government. The Humboldt Foundation’s alumni network currently comprises more than 29,000 scientists and scholars from all disciplines in over 140 countries. The Humboldt Foundation grants about 20 Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel Research Awards annually in all scientific fields.
Last modified: | 16 December 2024 12.32 p.m. |
More news
-
08 October 2025
Not all plastic needs to be bio-based or biodegradable
Per person, we throw away about 33 kilos of plastic packaging per year. Professor of Polymer Chemistry Katja Loos is working on a more sustainable future for plastics - by looking at more than the material itself.
-
06 October 2025
The GenAI-bubble will burst, but don’t give up on AI altogether
'People keep promoting the belief that generative AI provides universal tools that are capable of much more,’ says Michael Biehl, Professor of Machine Learning. ‘Sooner or later, the genAI bubble will burst,’ he is certain. But that doesn’t mean all...
-
01 October 2025
In Science Podcast: Ajay Kottapalli about seal whiskers and ultrasensitive sensors
'In Science' is the podcast of the University of Groningen. In this episode, we’re joined by Ajay Kottapalli, Associate Professor at the Engineering and Technology Institute Groningen and co-founder of the Sencilia startup.