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We still don’t understand how nature spins simple sugar chains into the ultra-strong cellulose fibers that hold plants together – and we can’t yet copy this architecture ourselves. With an ERC Consolidator Grant, Yu Ogawa aims to decode this process and build a miniature lab “factory” to make cellulose from scratch and tailor it for a bio-based, circular economy. more

In the nitrite-to-ammonia reaction, carbon steps out of its role as the unsung sidekick and outperforms the supposed metal heroes. The study by Mateusz Odziomek and his team shows that metals can even turn into villains by poisoning the catalyst—unless they keep some distance and run with carbon in a well-timed relay. more

The SunThesis Group led by Dr. Christian M. Pelicano added a pinch of ammonium salt to the known photocatalyst KPHI for greener hydrogen peroxide production. This tweak reshapes the crystals, creates helpful defects, deepens visible-light absorption, and boosts performance at lower synthesis temperatures—pointing toward scalable, sunlight-driven reactors that can make hydrogen peroxide locally and on demand. more

A leading nanoscientist with a long-standing commitment to interdisciplinarity, he shares MPICI’s biomimetic approach and will work on his ERC Advanced Grant project on controlling protein interactions in water. Stellacci studies how proteins attract, repel, or assemble in aqueous environments, and applies these principles to the design of broad-spectrum antivirals and recyclable polymers. more