Understanding biomolecules

The outstanding young female scientist Dr. Johanna Klyne has won this year’s Marthe Vogt Award, provided by the Forschungsverbund Berlin. The award ceremony took place at the Haus der Leibniz-Gemeinschaft on November 6, 2019 within the Berlin Science Week.

Johanna Klyne’s research involved determining the geometric and electronic structure of biomolecules and their clusters. The experimental methods she used are based on state-of-the-art laser spectroscopic techniques. To this end, she performed complex quantum chemical calculations. Dr. Klyne completed her doctorate at Technische Universität Berlin.

Yasmin Fahimi, Member of the Bundestag and Member of the Committee on Education, Research and Technology Assessment, gave the celebratory address at the award presentation ceremony. In her speech, the chemistry graduate emphasized the need to develop favorable framework conditions to encourage a larger pool of talented women scientists – with or without children – to assume management responsibilities in universities and research institutions. Competitions like the Marthe Vogt Award are a good way of supporting women on this journey. “They set the stage for female scholars,” Yasmin Fahimi stressed. “They generate publicity, and shine the spotlight on women who may well be described as pioneers.”

Award-winner Johanna Klyne made great use of this stage to enthusiastically present her research results to the audience in a talk.