Teaching: More data science in biochemistry and chemistry

In future, chemistry and biochemistry students at the University of Würzburg will be familiarised with data science and machine learning applications at an early stage and on an ongoing basis. To this end, the Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacy is currently developing innovative modules for teaching. A new summer school is also being planned, where students can learn the content of data science.

The innovations are being driven forward under the leadership of Professor Bettina Warscheid, Dr Merle Röhr and Professor Ulrich Schatzschneider. The trio is supported by Dr Julian Bender, Lasse Kreimendahl and Dr Daniel Bellinger.

Server and pipetting robot

The faculty is building a multimodal platform as the technical basis for the new teaching programmes, which will initially be used in theoretical and organic chemistry, inorganic chemistry and biochemistry modules.

The platform includes

• a pipetting robot, which will be used for automated colourimetric analysis or mass spectrometric sample preparation, among other things, and
• a GPU server that provides laboratory journals for the practical modules, offers an interactive platform for learning the Python programming language and provides the computing power for extensive machine learning applications in Python.

The Fonds der Chemischen Industrie (FCI) is providing around 100,000 euros for the acquisition of both systems. The Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacy is topping up this amount by 25,000 euros.

The aim of the FCI funding is to better prepare students for the requirements of an increasingly digitalised chemical and pharmaceutical industry. The FCI writes this in a press release. The fund is distributing a total of 1.6 million euros in funding to 19 universities and four colleges.

Money goes to innovative teaching concepts

"The selected projects are characterised by innovative teaching concepts. They are diverse, qualitatively strong and show how much the requirements in chemistry studies are changing," says FCI Managing Director Ulrike Zimmer.

It is quite clear that students need an education that keeps pace with technological developments in the chemical-pharmaceutical industry. This is precisely where the FCI comes in with its support: "Data science belongs in chemistry studies. This is how we strengthen qualifications, innovative strength and competitiveness."

About the FCI

The Chemical Industry Fund was founded in 1950 and is the funding organisation of the German Chemical Industry Association. In 2026, it will provide around 14.7 million euros for basic research, young scientists and the teaching of chemistry in schools. www.vci.de/fonds