The IRTG aims to provide all graduate students of the CRC 325 with optimal support for their research activities. A continuous education in competences and skills in research will be provided according to the qualification level of students. All doctoral candidates and post-docs will acquire a broader knowledge in the CRC topics beyond their specific expertise.
The graduates will be trained in: theoretical and practical aspects of spectroscopy, photochemistry, photocatalysis, synthesis, and computational methods; reflecting the research focus of the CRC. We will train all doctoral students in: documenting, presenting and communicating their scientific results to peers in their fields, but also across different disciplines following rules of good scientific practice. The training and promotion of young scientists are at the center of the activities of the CRC 325.
With the aim to reach a common language and to intensify interdisciplinary collaborations between the graduate students of all participating research groups of the CRC, regular events like seminar days and an annual retreat will be organized. Presentations which are given by the graduate students not only provide inspiration for scientific discussions but also serve as training in communication. The presentation and discussion of research results is an important part of doctoral or post-doctoral education and is an essential part of research activities. Seminar days and the annual retreat are an essential part of the IRTG program supporting collaboration, skill training and research development.
After regular intervals, a graduate-only seminar of the CRC will be scheduled. The aim of the event is to intertwine the individual research projects at the graduate student level via personal contacts.
The CRC seminar program will be complemented by (a) an annual seminar on good scientific practice and (b) specific soft skill training courses. The seminar on good scientific practice will focus on topics that are of direct relevance to the CRC research work of the graduate students and post-docs.
© by CRC 325
The Graduate Only Day 2024 focused on getting out of the routine and getting to know the other researchers. From 01. – 03.05.2024, 27 graduate students and post-doctoral researchers of the Collaborative Research Center "Assembly Controlled Chemical Photocatalysis" met at the Ochsenkopf in the Fichtelgebirge to discuss, network, and hike.
The first and most important priority for the graduates was to foster personal and professional growth by building stronger relationships and establishing new connections with people from other research projects. To achieve this, the first day began with introductions, where everyone had the opportunity to share their interests both inside and outside of the lab. The informal setting allowed for pictures of beautiful holidays, cute cats and dogs to be shown alongside newly synthesized molecule structures. Through sharing these passions, the researchers were able to establish a foundation for engaging discussions throughout the event.
Thursday was a day dedicated to adventure and nature. Our group embarked on a hiking expedition, exploring the breathtaking scenery of the Fichtelgebirge. We climbed to the summit of the Ochsenkopf, a challenging yet rewarding experience. The highlight of our trip was the exhilarating mountain coaster ride, where we felt the rush of adrenaline as we sped down the track at up to 40 km/h.
The hike continued to Weißmain and Fichtelnaab springs, enjoying the serene surroundings. After a day filled with outdoor activities, we returned to our accommodation, the 'Bullhead House,' just in time to escape a thunderstorm. The evening was spent indoors, enjoying good food and engaging in stimulating conversations.
After three days of engaging discussions, a challenging hike, and lots of fun together, the Graduate-Only Day came to an end on Friday with team-building games and a delicious lunch. The Graduate Only Day was an opportunity for all participants to create new memories and strengthen our team spirit.
© by CRC 325
From the 4th-6th of October the CRC 325 organised the first Conference on Light Induced Transformations (LIT) in Regensburg, Germany. With a broad scientific program, it brought a lot of people from various research fields together to talk and discuss a plethora of scientific problems. The participants met early at the University of Regensburg where the first presentation was given by Takashi Ooi followed by a talk by Christina Wegeberg. After a short coffee break which allowed the discussion of the presented research in a relaxed setting followed talks given by Leyre Marzo, Dieter Sorsche and Santosh Pagire. Alongside the subsequent lunch break participants were encouraged to visit the vernissage organized by art students from the University of Regensburg in cooperation with the CRC to look at stunning art about different perceptions and interpretations of light. Subsequently the last presentations of the day were given by Leticia González, Christoph Kerzig, Simone Stegbauer and Dimitry Katayev. The conference day was closed with a poster session where various members of the CRC as well as participants of the conference were able to present their research topics and talk to numerous interested researchers in different stages of their academic career.
The next day started with extremely interesting talks by Oliver Wenger and Malte Brasholz. After a short break the conference continued with presentations from Melanie Schnell, Ivana Weisheitelová, Niklas Sülzner and Cui Wang. This time during the lunch break different power hours about various topics were organized by CRC-members with great participation. It was possible to learn and discuss about “Career Options after Ph.D. and Postdoc”, “What Type of Personality are you?”, “Time Management in Research”, “Mental Health in Research” and “Networking: How to find the Right Contacts”. Very successfully the participants were able to converse about topics not only related to current research but also subjects crucial for current or future career planning or getting awareness about sensitive issues regarding mental health. Afterwards followed presentations given by Abigail Doyle, Artur Nenov, Adrian Bunzel and María Jesús Cabrera Afonso. In the same manner as the first day the scientific part was closed by another poster session, followed by a conference dinner at “Brauhaus am Schloss” where everybody could chat in a relaxed atmosphere for a nice get-together.
The third and last day of the conference was initiated by intriguing talks by Jessica Anna and Bartholomäus Pieber. After a short coffee break Stephan Kupfer, Indrajit Gosh and Zacharias Amara presented their exciting research. During the lunch break the general assembly of the CRC 325 was held to talk about general information, statistics as well as voting a new graduate speaker for the CRC. The last presentations of the conference were given by Tehshik Yoon, Lingli Ni, Benjamin Fingerhut and Shruti Rajput. The conference came to an end by the nomination of the poster and presentation price. The three poster prices were given to Anna Tiefel (University of Regensburg, Group of Prof. Alexander Breder), Andreas Sebastian Klein (Technical University of Munich, Group of Prof. Cathleen Zeymer) & Richard Jacobi (University of Vienna, Group of Prof. Leticia González) and the presentation price was given to Cui Wang (University of Osnabrück, Junior professor). In conclusion the LIT conference by the CRC 325 was an amazing opportunity for a lot of researchers to come together to present, discuss and talk about current research as well as important topics for their own career and mental health.
More pictures of the conference can be downloaded here_A and here_C
© by CRC 325
From 16 – 18 August, researchers from the Technical University of Munich working in the Collaborative Research Centre “Assembly Controlled Chemical Photocatalysis” helped organizing and executing the “TUM Entdeckerinnen” event at TUM. “TUM Entdeckerinnen” meaning TUM Explorers is an event organized by TUM to give girls and young woman the opportunity to follow their scientific interests and gain insights into the fascinating world of chemistry.
On the first day of the event, the girls from 10th to 12th grade, arrived at the TUM campus in Garching and after a short get to know, the day started with a lecture on light and colors. During the lecture, some basic photo physical questions were discussed as: “What is light ?”, “How does light disappear ? ”, “How do colors arise ?”. The lecture was loosened up by several show experiments on colors and light, as for example the classic splitting of light through a prism. After the lecture, there was the opportunity for the participants to meet Prof. Cathleen Zeymer during a lunch together. After the lunch, the chemical synthesis planned for the next day was discussed mechanistically and the relevant safety aspects were explained.
On the second day, the girls had the opportunity to perform the synthesis of the azo dye Orange II in the state of the art laboratories at the TUM. During the reaction, a diazonium salt solution was prepared, which was added to 2-naphthol, yielding the desired dye as a brightly orange compound. The girls really seemed to enjoy the practical work in the laboratory a lot. After the successful synthesis, there was a joint lunch at “crazy bean”, the pizza place at the campus. The day ended with a tour over the campus, including the famous “parable slide” in the mathematics building.
On the final day of the event, there was half a day more in the laboratory, during which the girls used the dye indigo to stain some white textiles. The event ended with another lecture, having the topic “chemistry with light”. Basic photochemical reactions as the E/Z isomerization of azobenzene were discussed and demonstrated in some show experiments. After a short feedback talk, the event ended with overall happy participants and organizers.
It was nice to take part in this project, to encourage young women, which are still underrepresented in MINT subjects at universities, to follow their interests and maybe become the next Marie Curie one day.
© by CRC 325
From 03 – 05 May, researchers working in the Collaborative Research Center "Assembly Controlled Chemical Photocatalysis" met for the second Graduate-Only-Day at Friedensburg, Kurort Rathen in Saxony. The event provided an opportunity for the members to step out of their regular work environment and engage in activities that promote bonding, team spirit and immersing oneself in different setting to spark creativity and innovation through effective communication and collaboration.
The participants met at the accommodation at Friedensburg guesthouse located approx. 35 km from Dresden in the picturesque climatic health resort of Rathen in the middle of the scenic Saxon Switzerland. After having settled in our rooms, we had a wonderful dinner together which was followed by the first exchange through small team activities in the form of group games.
The next day, we took a ferry to cross beautiful river Elbe and experienced the beauty of its surrounding landscape. This gear-rope ferry is held on a rope some hundred meters long, which is fastened to a fixed point upstream. Then we embarked on a hike to the Bastei, a famous viewing platform, which was about 3 hours and had approx. 200 altimeter and length of approx. 6 km with a lot of highlights. The weather was perfect with sun shining and wind blowing. We were rewarded for our efforts by a breathtaking view of rocky landscapes and impressive viewing plateaus.
After the hike, everyone finally reconvened at our accommodation, exhausted but happy and satisfied. We then enjoyed our well-deserved refreshment break with coffee and cake. In the evening we all performed amazing team building group activities which was followed by a delicious BBQ session and later Bonfire.
After the hike, everyone finally reconvened at our accommodation, exhausted but happy and satisfied. We then enjoyed our well-deserved refreshment break with coffee and cake. In the evening we all performed amazing team building group activities which was followed by a delicious BBQ session and later Bonfire.
On the last day, we had interesting short presentations from the members which were organized to get to know each other better. The Graduate-Only-Day came to an end with a leisurely lunch and we bid farewell to each other.
The Graduate-Only-Day was a amazing opportunity for all participants to come together, away from work and their typical responsibilities. It included learning experiences, team-building activities, downtime for informal socializing and collaborative work. The whole purpose of hiking together, engaging in team-building exercises, sharing meals, and participating in recreational activities is to foster a sense of camaraderie and build rapport among members.
© by CRC 325
From 08 – 10 May, 23 researchers working in the Collaborative Research Center "Assembly Controlled Chemical Photocatalysis" met for the first Graduate-Only-Day at Spitzingsee in Bavaria. The event intends to let colleagues get to know each other and their scientific field better, paving the way for new collaborations.
The participants met at the Spitzingsattel by Spitzingsee, and following a short hike reached the accommodation at `Obere Firstalm´, luckily while still dry. After a friendly welcome from the staff, a rich, traditional Bavarian “Raindl” meal awaited us. This was followed by the first exchange through small team activities in the form of group games.
The next day, we embarked on a lengthy expedition to the `Taubenstein´ (1692 m) and the `Rotwand´ (1884 m) under the guidance of our research colleague and mountain expert Tobias Karl. Our hike was accompanied by sunny weather, not too hot and above all, dry. We were rewarded for our efforts by a wonderful view of the snow-dusted peaks. Eleven summiteers reached the `Taubenstein´. After a full seven hours of hiking, everyone finally reconvened at our accommodation, happy and exhausted. Following a well-deserved dinner, the day ended with a round of quizzes.
On the last day, ten graduates came together again for a final jaunt to the `Roßkopf´ (1580 m). The Graduate-Only-Day came to a close with a leisurely lunch on the sun terrace. Descending from the hut together, we bid each other farewell at around 14.30.
The Graduate-Only-Day was a fantastic opportunity for all participants to get to know each other better and to network. The focus on hiking, with the physical exertion and the challenge of a long hike, helped to strengthen our team spirit and cohesion.