Ever since the start of the pandemic, research teams all around the world have been trying to develop new ideas that might help bring ease to the global community. Researchers at Jacobs University were no exception as two of its elite professors started developing a new disinfectant in cooperation with the Bremen companies "ProPure – Protect" and "Just in Air"; a project that is funded by The Bremer Aufbau-Bank GmbH, a public bank of the Federal State of Bremen.
Chemistry Prof. Dr. Nikolai Kuhnert alongside with his colleague Prof. Dr. Matthias Ullrich (Microbiologist) have been long involved in researching antiviral and antibacterial affects of natural substances. The new disinfectant being developed will be obtained from plant waste such as coffee, quince or rhododendron and is believed to be more effective than previous products.
This does not only represent a project with a potential global application, but it also has a meaningful local impact on the Jacobs student’s community. A handful of 2nd and 3rd year students from the areas of Chemistry and Biochemistry learn about the value of primary and secondary metabolites in their lectures. Thanks to such projects, the students can also gain deeper knowledge on the topic by witnessing a first-hand application of this concept. Some students might also have a chance to help in this project. Although the spotlight now belongs to the Ullrich and Kuhnert labs, this is a common trend at Jacobs University, where the students can read about the theory and put it into practice by collaborating alongside their professors to make a meaningful change in the world.
By Tarek Marei (Syria) | Class of 2021
