From Würzburg to the World

What do graduates of Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg (JMU) do for a living? In order to introduce students to different perspectives, Michaela Thiel, Managing Director of the central alumni network, interviewed selected alumni. This time it's Sebastian Schlücker's turn.

Schlücker studied Chemistry at JMU; he completed his doctorate under Professor Wolfgang Kiefer in 2001. After research stays in India and the USA, he habilitated in physical chemistry at the University of Würzburg in 2006. Schlücker is now Professor of Physical Chemistry at the University of Duisburg-Essen. Among other things, he and his team are working on developing better and much more sensitive rapid tests, for example for the coronavirus. He recently received the international Raman Innovation Award.

Professor Schlücker, how would you describe your research to a layperson? We conduct both basic research ("How does it work?") and applied research ("What can I do with it?"). Physical Chemistry investigates chemical issues using physical methods. To do this, we use Raman spectroscopy as a laser technique, which I learnt from scratch under Professor Wolfgang Kiefer in Würzburg. This gives you a "molecular fingerprint" - you learn something about the composition and structure of a chemical sample from this type of interaction between light and matter. We also use nanotechnology methods to produce detection reagents and amplify our optical molecular signals.

What do you particularly like about your work? As a university lecturer, you have the great privilege of very self-determined work in which you can realise your own ideas in research and teaching. My work is characterised by creativity, discussions and exchanges with other academics. I am also constantly surrounded by young, motivated people who challenge me and whom I support and encourage as a mentor on their further career path - be it a Bachelor's or Master's thesis, a doctorate or as a postdoc on the way to a professorship. Outside the university, I am involved in the "experimentamus!" project, which I initiated to get primary school children interested in the natural sciences of chemistry and physics.

Can you briefly describe your new coronavirus self-test? What challenges have arisen from your point of view? The red colour on the control or test lines in coronavirus and rapid pregnancy tests is due to nanogold, i.e. gold nanoparticles. These can be recognised with the naked eye. Such rapid tests are generally easy to perform, robust and fast. However, their main disadvantage is their low sensitivity: although the test is positive, the red nanogold can no longer be seen with the naked eye. This produces so-called false-negative results, which means that although the test is positive, it is falsely declared as negative. We use chemically modified nanogold in combination with a laser-based readout procedure, for which we have designed and built a compact and fast readout device. In clinical samples, we still have challenges for the future: we are now so sensitive that we can also see how the nanoparticles interact with the complex biological matrix such as serum and cause so-called non-specific binding. We have already developed initial approaches to solving this problem.

What qualities are essential in your profession? In research, you need curiosity and creativity as well as determination combined with perseverance. In teaching, you need to enjoy explaining things, be able to communicate your knowledge and the context in a clear and understandable way and be able to put yourself in the position of the learners. Qualities such as mental flexibility, leadership qualities and organisational talent are also certainly helpful.

What experience from your time at JMU do you particularly remember? When I met my current wife Uta-Maria during my student days at the birthday party of our future best man in the so-called Fuxbau of the Akademisch-Musikalischen Verbindungen (AMV) Würzburg in Valentin-Becker-Straße. I also have very fond memories of successes in exams and prizes for achievements in my studies and later in science, most recently the Röntgen Prize of the JMU.

Thank you very much for the interview.

Are you not yet a member of the university's alumni network? Then you are cordially invited to register at the network's website. There you will also find the previously published interviews with JMU alumni and alumnae.