We lost an internationally highly recognized scientist in the field of planar chromatography! He was a highly dedicated and devoted scientist - a world master in equations. We first met in 1994, when I had two presentations in Poland. I already knew his name from papers read. His appearance was of smaller size, but all the more energetic, and my first impression was that he was a gray eminence. This was then also so. We also visited his institute at that time. We will keep his memory!
The world energy still in repair
To stop the questions.... yes, I turned 50, and yes, you were invited, ...we, the ones who feel invited by me, still silently celebrate the smile of 10+x children that will get education and food for 365 days. One year of happiness in their harsh life without the least priviledge! Sensing what this really means, we - the privilegded - should treasure the immense offer for education we get and do more than our best! Fortunately, modesty, truthfullness, hope and love do not cost anything... the same for a big smile. Thanks for celebrating with me!
New film: Discover natural antibiotics!
This second video focuses on the discovery of antimicrobial compounds in natural sources (first video was on estrogen-effective compounds). The challenge of antibiotic resistance resembled a “ticking time bomb” and scientists search for new evidence-based natural medicine. Beside this aim to discover new antibiotics, plant secondary metabolites have the potential to lower the effective therapeutic dose of synthetic antibiotics through synergistic effects. In this video, a time-saving streamlined method is illustrated that covers a rapid screening, the structure elucidation of the antibiotics discovered and their quantification. This technique allows the quantitative screening of many samples in parallel with regard to single antibiotic components, followed by structure elucidation. The film was made in cooperation with the Central Media Service of the HRZ. This research was published in Journal of Chromatography (fundamentals) and Analytical Chemistry (analysis and bioquantitation of natural antibiotics).
rTLC, an open-source software we developed
We are proud to introduce this open-source software for image evaluation and multivariate analysis of planar chromatograms. rTLC is based on the R programming language (R is an open-source language and environment for statistical computing and graphics), uses the shiny package to create an HTML-based user interface and exploits the caret package for machine learning. rTLC is deployed online and is directly accessible via a modern internet browser having internet connection: http://shinyapps.ernaehrung.uni-giessen.de/rtlc. In case required, instructions for local installation are available at https://github.com/DimitriF/rTLC-apps. Interested? More details are available in a recent paper in Analytical Chemistry.
Reflect on your attitude of being healthy!
In the rush-hour of life, take a breath and reflect on this film on scientific research and all the dependencies (cholesterol hype) and the following talk on it. It underlines the message in my modul MK 32. Knowledge is the basis of critical thinking. If you do not know much, you must believe everything. Your study is the time to build up this basis - so get deep insight into the mechanisms of interdisciplinary knowledge! No way without thorough learning - of course, it is hard, but also so exciting! Thank is owed to all dedicated scientists - scientists are researcher that do stay honest! How to name the others? Mainstream thinking decelerates progress, as we do not find new doors, as pointed out in the lecture of Rob Verpoorte (see below). This controversy is also triggered by the fact given by Allen Roses, vice-president of genetics at GlaxoSmithKline: "The vast majority of drugs - more than 90 per cent - only work in 30 or 50 per cent of the people”, also outlined by Rob Verpoorte in his lecture.
Expanding the potatoe chips business
Update of 2015 report: The enterprise is expanding. See our sucessful former student on TV. She was so excited. It is so great to see her hard-working, energy and passion (not so evident in the film) - the basis of success! Dear Student, be the next one! Trust in your abilities!
STIPET course on HPTLC
The International Giessen Graduate Centre for the Life Sciences (GGL) has obtained a grant from the DAAD for student teaching assistantships (STIBET). The aim of this fund is to offer international doctoral students the chance to gather teaching experience by sharing their ideas. It will also give priority access to didactics training courses that will help doctoral students to prepare their teaching project. The doctorial student Ebrahim Azadniya won a STIPET funding for holding further courses on HPTLC. Next one is in March 13th and 14th, 2017.
GDCh-Kurse zur HPTLC
Educational courses on our latest research, optionally in English
Die JLU Gießen ist bereits im Boot - hier der link zum Film. Unsere Arbeitgruppe unterstützt zudem papierlose Prozesse!
Join HPTLC 2017 in Berlin!
Pausenexpress wird gut angenommen
Artikel (Uni-Köpfe vom 22.08.2016) über den Pausenexpress im Einsatz in unserem Modul MP B 124
Gastvortrag
Student started his tomato business
The sugar content is higher than that of most tomatoes and the aroma exciting. Especially, the aroma of the green tomatoe was a surprise. With a higher sugar content, the categorization of such tomatoes as a fruit instead of a vegetable has to be taken into account. Why not a healthy tomatoe snack for inspiring breaks?
Gastvortrag
Taschan day
The group always enjoys the Taschan day, named after the well-known German food chemist Dr. Hasan Taschan (in the centre). In contrast to holy days, a Taschan day happens several times a year. It always goes with a common Piiiiizzzzzaaaah - with the proper analytical tool, you see most likely 5 different sorts of Pizza slices and as topping 3 different sorts of Baklava in each belly!
Dr. Hasan Taschan, seit 1986 Lebensmittelchemiker im Hessischen Landeslabor, wurde 2010 die Adolf-Juckenack-Medaille (zur Erinnerung an den Geheimen Rat und Ministerialrat Prof. Dr. Adolf Juckenack, 1870–1939) überreicht. Die Medaille wird an Persönlichkeiten verliehen, die sich durch jahrelangen, persönlichen Einsatz in wichtigen Positionen der Lebensmittelchemischen Gesellschaft ausgezeichnet oder die durch ihre Tätigkeit den Berufsstand der Lebensmittelchemiker gefördert haben.
Moderating the Live Lab Food Analysis at Analytica
Analytica 2016 meant 1.244 exhibitors from 40 countries and ca. 35.000 visitors! I had the honor to moderate five times the Live Lab Food Analysis on 12th and 13th of May in Munich. At each 1-hour interview round, ten selected manufacturers showed a food experiment with top instrumentation from sample preparation to high sophisticated multi-methods. Of course, the best occasion to challenge them and talk on efficiency. In the lab of the future, why to turn a wheel for dosage? So I strongly recommended to a global player the contamination-free, voice-controlled operation of their devices. "Siri, dilute 1:10 with A" or "ssssssssst" means a faster dosage supply and "Oh, god!" let stop the device! In the first interview round, the manufacturer was evidently irritated by this idea, but after the 5th round a complete understanding and harmony - so I am sure such devices will be on the market in some years. In any case, more internationally and independend on any language would be an intuitive sound-control! So, soft skills in singing are inevitable for analysts working in the lab of the future! Start your lessons right now...
TransMIT-Zentrum Wirkungsbezogene Analytik
The Transmit centre Effect directed analysis was successfully approved. More information here...
Methoden-Technologien-Workshops des iFZ
Wir stellten am 6. April 2016 unsere Platform im iFZ vor: Hochauflösende Massenspektrometrie für die wirkungsbezogene Analytik
ARD Plusminus, Das Erste: Von wegen frisch! - Wie im Supermarkt getrickst wird
20 s-Interview mit Katja Sodomann über Verpackung unter Schutzatmosphäre, 16.03.16
Gemeinsame Expertenkommission zur Einstufung von Stoffen
Zweite Amtsperiode 2016-2019... Im Januar 2013 haben das Bundesamt für Verbraucherschutz und Lebensmittelsicherheit (BVL) und das Bundesinstitut für Arzneimittel und Medizinprodukte (BfArM) eine Gemeinsame Expertenkommission zur Einstufung von Stoffen ins Leben gerufen. Hintergrund der Schaffung der Kommission ist, dass Stoffe, die bislang vorwiegend oder ausschließlich in Arzneimitteln verwendet wurden, vermehrt als Lebensmittel oder Lebensmittelzutat in Verkehr gebracht werden. Seitens der Behörden bestehen jedoch häufig Bedenken hinsichtlich der Sicherheit und der Verkehrsfähigkeit dieser Erzeugnisse als Lebensmittel.
Comments at HTC-14
The Session Chair Gert Desmet introduced my lecture ending with "and she understands to make HPTLC sexy". Big, big smiles everywhere, but I decided to start my lecture without any comment to him. During my lecture I thought on what he did mean by saying this? Luckily, everything worked... Later, I asked Gert for an explanation. He smiled and said, he was not sure whether this will work or lead to an eclat. A diplomatic answer this was - well, great analysts always search for challenges! When we first met in Merida, Mexico, in 2006, Hernan Cortez asked for my research and responded to follow his advice "to stop with this nonsense". So, this meant I enjoyed 10 years of doing nonsense now. When we met this time, he said it is ok what I am doing, I should go on and even in his lecture he commented a nice figure with "it looks like TLC"! Congratulations to Hernan for receiving "The LCGC Lifetime Achievement Award" - an award only received if one got wiser!
Watch our film to learn effect-directed analysis
High interest in and requests on effect-directed analysis let us make this short film on the discovery of estrogen-effective compounds in beer to learn the HPTLC-bioassay workflow and to see all the relevant tools. The film was made in cooperation with the Central Media Service of the HRZ. This research was published in Journal of Chromatography (fundamentals) and Analytical Chemistry (analysis of propolis products as well as surface/wastewater). Update October 2016: Not that bad for a pure research video! 1428 (with updated funding details) + 472 (first film) = 1900 clicks within 11 months!
