Whoever thinks that Swiss pharmacists just dispense medicines in herbal-sented shops, accompanied by the whirring of robotic arms in the back room and the occasional sniffling of customers with colds, is mistaken.
The tasks have expanded significantly at the behest of the Swiss federal government. Christina Ruob - as a pharmacist and managing director at medinform AG - has played a major role in ensuring that this mandate is put into practice.
Now, as the first Professor of Practice at D-CHAB, she will also be strengthening practice-oriented teaching and research in the pharmacy program, thereby helping to secure basic healthcare in Switzerland.
Learn how she plans to achieve this gal by reading the article (link in the bio or check out www.chab.ethz.ch)
“Romantic Chemistry—unfortunately, this title stands between us and the apéro,” Hansjörg Grützmacher remarked with a wink as he opened his farewell lecture yesterday to a packed Audimax. But there was no need for despair.
Hansjörg Grützmacher took his audience on an entertaining journey through the history of science, in search of what has been truly ‘new’ and romantic in chemistry. But do we always have to make something new?
In his lecture, the chemist started a search. He shed light, for instance, on forgotten passages in Casanovas biography – who was not only a womanizer but also an expert in alchemical practices and “making amalgams in Hg, Pb and Bi”.
There are, still open research questions in this field, for those who aim to “be a little closer to Casanova”, as Grützmacher remarked.
Actually, there are open questions everywhere, as the chemist firmly believes, even or in particular where things seem clear at first glance. This ties in with the motto of his research group, which is inspired by Wilhelm Busch: "Things never turn out the way you expect. Nothing is predetermined.”
This is also evident in one of Grützmacher’s research stories shared yesterday. His group discovered a surprisingly simple way to synthesize the today worldwide used phosphorus analogue of sodium cyanate NaOCP – “surprisingly”, because nobody had expected that it would ever be possible; the finding overturned many long-held assumptions.
“We think something is known, but often that’s not the case. There are always open questions. Chemistry cannot be demystified. It will always be romantic”, Grützmacher said.
So, do we have to make something new?
We do, he stated, at least "it should be something new for you", and closed his talk by thanking his team – the Grützis – "who joined me in this adventure and helped me to stay romantic”.
Curious for more insights? Check out the portrait! (link in the bio!)
To all researchers: Spread the word, the call for Ruzicka Prize candidates 2026 is open!
The Ruzicka Prize, named after the ETH professor and Nobel laureate Leopold Ruzicka and supported by dsm-firmenich, is one of the most important awards for the promotion of young scientists in the field of chemistry in Switzerland.
The prize is awarded to a young scientist for her/his outstanding, published contribution in the field of chemistry, achieved in Switzerland or by a Swiss citizen abroad.
The prize is endowed with 10,000 CHF. The ceremony will take place on November 19, 2026.
👉 Deadline: Proposals for candidates (age limit: 40) may be submitted until Sunday, Sept 13, 2026, via e-mail or letter to Department Head Professor Christophe Coperet.
After more than 30 years as a professor at the Institute of Inorganic Chemistry D-CHAB, Prof. Hansjörg Grützmacher is retiring.
He will give his farewell lecture, entitled " Romantische Chemie - Romantic Chemistry" on May 11, 5.15. pm, in the Audimax.
Save the date and spread the word! We hope to see you there!
Congratulations to the finalists who will represent Switzerland and Liechtenstein at the International Chemistry Olympiad 2026 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan!
In April, some of the brightest high school students and aspiring chemists from Switzerland and Liechtenstein came together. They dove into a rich program of theoretical and practical sessions led by volunteers from the Swiss Chemistry Olympiad.
A standout moment was the captivating lecture on coordination chemistry by Prof. em. Antonio Togni.
Equally inspiring was the fact that many of the teaching assistants once stood in the very same shoes as the participants and have now returned to pass on their knowledge and enthusiasm to the next generation.
The final exam of the national qualifiers took place on April 9, 2026. Both the theoretical and practical exams lasted three hours each.
This intense effort was rewarded with a visit to the Metrohm headquarters, during which the volunteers corrected the exams.
Congratulations to all participating students for their hard work, determination, and outstanding performance.
We’re looking forward to an exciting IChO 2026 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan (July 10-19, 2026), and wish the finalists every success!
Scents accompany us every day: they communicate, carry culture, spark memories, and elicit emotions. But how did people first start to extract fragrances from plants and animals?
What makes the scent of whales and certain even-toed ungulates popular to this day?
And what role did the “lord of the (carbon) rings,” better known as ETH Zurich Nobel laureate Leopold Ruzicka, play in this story?
The Chemical and Pharmacognostic Collection of D‑CHAB provides answers. Check out our recent ETH heritage blog post! (link in the bio)
Is it possible to grow peatlands in flasks to learn how climate change will affect these ecosystems and its inhabitants?
ETH researchers from the Fraley lab (D-CHAB) and the Schölmerich lab (D-USYS) recently set out to study the peatlands of the UNESCO Entlebuch Biosphere Reserve in Switzerland.
Their interdisciplinary and collaborative work is shedding light on the chemistry of protected peatland ecosystems, from the metabolically understudied plants at the surface to the climate-critical microbes lurking at anaerobic depths.
The researchers will combine field work and laboratory experiments. They will, for example, grow “mini peatlands” – so sphagnum mosses containing microorganisms – in flasks and subject them to various treatments.
The project aims to contribute to informed conservation and restoration strategies that could mitigate the impacts of global climate change.
Learn more about this ongoing collaborative work between the Fraley and the Schölmerich lab by reading the story that was recently highlighted in the regional magazine Mein Entlebuch (page 36, text in German language). Find the link in the bio!
How do you expose fake drugs that are engineered to evade detection?
The market for counterfeit medicines and plant-based oils is booming. Dr. Christian Steuer, pharmacist and now also Privatdozent at the Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences at D CHAB, applies with his team cutting edge chemical analytics and a detective’s intuition to find such products.
The goal is to develop fast methods that deliver maximum information as well as reliable results to ensure drug safety for people.
We’ll take a look at some "cases". Check out how the team solved them by reading the article (link in the bio) ...
... and join us for Christian Steuer's inaugural lecture entitled "Von Fake zu Fakt: (Analytische) Strategien zur Erkennung von Arzneimittel-Fälschungen":
April 13, 2026, 6.15 p.m.,
ETH main building, lecture hall D 7.1
Andrés Javier Bello-Hernández’s doctoral research centers on a novel diagnostic device for dengue fever. The technology also holds potential for identifying other viral infections.
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Read the full article on ethz.ch
Ever wondered how scientific history actually takes shape? Let’s open a special treasure chest…
…full of personal material, pearls of an exceptional academic career. Indeed, in the case of Nobel laureate and ETH Prof. Richard Ernst (1933-2021), it can be said that scientific history has rarely been captured with such meticulous care — and now his legacy is open to everyone!
The project team of the ETH Zurich University Archives, led by Philipp Klostermann, has just finished processing Richard Ernst's estate, making this remarkable collection accessible via a virtual reading room to all who want to explore his life and work.
Curious for a glimpse? Enjoy some snapshots in the carousel post and read the associated article (link in the bio)!
The final week of the 37th Coffee Lectures Series of the Chemistry | Biology | Pharmacy Center starts today! Join us for this week‘s lectures:
Tuesday, March 10: FAIR data
Wednesday, March 11: Mercury
Thursday: March 12: EndNote
At 13:00 each day, either come to HCI G2 for a coffee and a chocolate, or join us on Zoom (link in bio).
Proteins that are poorly soluble tend to clump together and have so far been nearly impossible to synthesise in the laboratory.
ETH chemists have now found a way to link up poorly soluble protein fragments into complete proteins.
The key to their success was a boron-containing compound that couples protein fragments much faster and therefore also at low concentrations.
This method opens up a wide range of new possibilities, including for targeted cancer therapies or the incorporation of unnatural amino acids into proteins.
Want to know more about this and other research topics? Visit our website: www.ethz.ch
