Innovation has always been at the heart of KNAUER and it is our passion that has got us this far.
Our first system was a universal temperature measuring device, at the time the most accurate in the world, built in the small kitchen of our founder, Herbert Knauer. Since then, KNAUER has continued to grow and support scientists around the world with innovations in chromatography.
One innvoation that KNAUER will introduce in 2022 is a new research system for the production of lipid nanoparticles. Called the "IJM NanoScaler", this system can optimize LNP production for new mRNA therapeutics and produce enough therapeutic for pre-clinical trials. KNAUER has been active in the field of lipid nanoparticle production equipment since 2020, when a major pharmaceutical company approached us for help with the production of their mRNA coronavirus vaccine. Since then, KNAUER has expanded its so-called "impingement jets mixing" systems into a product line in which the new research system is the smallest.
Innovations in chromatography benefit us all – HPLC (High Pressure Liquid Chromatography) plays a crucial role in drug development, food safety analysis, environmental research and much more. FPLC (Fast Protein Liquid Chromatography) allows blood diagnostics, antibody research and furthers our understanding of proteomics whereas SMB (Simulated Moving Bed) allows for the large-scale production of pure reagents and drugs.
By improving the technology everyone benefits.
In honor of our founder and the innovation and passion that have been at the heart of our company over the past 60 years, we are proud to found the Herbert Knauer Science Award for Innovation in Liquid Chromatography. The winner will be selected by KNAUER and an expert jury.
The winner of the Herbert Knauer Science Award will receive a voucher for KNAUER systems worth 20,000 euros plus an invitation to our anniversary celebration in Berlin including travel and hotel accommodation with dinner and breakfast.
Researchers who contribute to advancing the field of liquid chromatography are eligible to apply: the work can be, for example, a new or improved application, a technical modification or an invention. KNAUER is working with renowned scientists to promote the competition and select the best submission. Among others, the well-known HPLC expert and textbook author Dr. Stavros Kromidas will be part of the jury. The winner will be announced in summer 2022 and the award will be presented during our anniversary gala that we will celebrate in our own company garden in Berlin at the beginning of July.
The winner is Markus Matz, a 28-year-old doctoral candidate working at the Institute of Chemical Technology and Polymer Chemistry (ITCP) at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT). His award-winning project deals with nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) as a detection method for liquid chromatography. His innovation significantly improves the resolution of the benchtop NMR instrument used and is a step in the direction of making NMR detection more tangible for standard laboratories.
Who can be nominated for the Herbert Knauer Science Award?
Anyone who has recently developed new improvements or novel applications in the field of liquid chromatography is invited to apply. We are open to self-nominations as well as nominations from colleagues and working groups. For each nomination, we ask for the following:
Information on the evaluations process for the Herbert Knauer Award can be found here.
All applications will be reviewed by the head of KNAUER's liquid chromatography laboratory, Dr. Kathryn Monks. Following the review, the top three entries will be reviewed by our jury, which includes Dr. Stavros Kromidas, a pioneer in the field of liquid chromatography, and our CEO, Carsten Losch.
Further members of our jury will be announced soon.
