25-30 June 2017 Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting

Congratulations to Rosie Croft, Research Postgraduate in Dr James Bull’s Research Group, who was selected to attend the 2017 Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting which took place this June in a beautiful location in Bavaria on the edge of Lake Bodensee. The selection procedure for attendees was a highly competitive three-stage process starting at the department level, then the Royal Society and finally the scientific review panel of the Council for the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting, so Rosie did fantastically well to be selected to attend.

Every year 30 Nobel Laureates convene at Lindau to meet the next generation of leading scientists from all over the world with the aim of fostering exchange of ideas and collaborations among scientists of different generations, cultures, and disciplines.

Each morning of the meeting attendees listened to talks from Nobel Laureates covering a wide range of research areas and Rosie was impressed by their clear passion for problem solving, drive for innovation as well as their obvious desire to educate and inform. She reflected how “I learnt a huge amount about a number of different topics I don't usually come across through my research, for example about the origins of the kilogram and the new system of SI units due to be introduced next year”. 

In the afternoons there were discussion sessions in smaller groups with the Nobel laureates allowing plenty of opportunities to ask questions about chemistry but also to glean wisdom and advice from some of the most successful scientists alive today. Highlights for Rosie were hearing Ben Feringa talk about the context for the development of his molecular machines, Aaron Ciechanover discussing the potential impact of personalised pharmaceuticals and Peter Agre talk about his work promoting scientific diplomacy. Further to this, panel discussions on "game changers in chemistry", careers and ethics in science fostered stimulating discussions on a variety of topics fundamental to the future of the field and gave much insight from academic and industry experts.

On returning from her trip Rosie said: “Meeting a huge number of fellow chemists from all corners of the world working in countless different areas of chemistry was doubtless the highlight of my trip. Science breakfasts, picnics, barbeques, a meeting-wide international dinner hosted by Mexico and a Bavarian themed evening allowed all meeting participants to get to know each other in an informal setting, networking and communicating ideas. I have come back from Lindau, truly inspired by all the people I have met from the Nobel Laureates to all the young scientists and feel incredibly privileged to have had the opportunity to attend the 67th Meeting and am so grateful for the generous support and nominations from the Department, the Royal Society and the Lindau Council"