ERC Advanced Grant for Prof. Syuzanna Harutyunyan

Syuzanna Harutyunyan has been awarded a €2,5 million ERC grant for her project “The Dance of Molecules: Rhythmic Systems through Organic Catalysis”. She can use this money to set up long-term and ground-breaking research projects. The Advanced Grants are meant for established academics with a track-record of significant research achievements.

The Dance of Molecules: Rhythmic Systems through Organic Catalysis

In this project, Syuzanna Harutyunyan will bring the time dimension and periodicity into synthetic chemistry. Inspired by natural cycles such as sleep, neuronal activity, and heartbeat, the project will explore how oscillations can be integrated with catalysis to introduce feedback control over chemical reactions, mimicking the regulation of complex biological networks. Synthetic chemistry has historically focused on man-made catalysts functioning under steady conditions and concentrations. This project will harness the power of organic chemistry to create autonomous oscillators that couple and control different reactions at different times by regulating component concentrations and activity. By harnessing oscillatory catalysis, automation, and modeling this project will pave the way for the systematic development of catalytic oscillators with specific, tailored properties, opening new frontiers in chemical synthesis, materials science, and beyond.

European Research Council

The European Research Council (ERC) is the premiere European funding organization for excellent frontier research. Every year, it selects and funds the very best, creative researchers of any nationality and age, to run projects based in Europe.