The unsung Science Hero
By Marcus Bauser, Head of Medical Chemistry Analytics, Bayer HealthCare Berlin
Analytics is undoubtedly the secret star of natural sciences: it is so rarely in the limelight. This does not, however, mean that it is not immensely important. Without analytics, many things would be impossible. This applies not only to chemistry and pharmacy, but also to other industries of great importance to Germany like metals processing, nutrition, and luxury foods. Also social issues like e.g. the protection of the environment or forensics for solving crimes can no longer function without analytics. Again and again the question arises as to “what” substance and “how much”.
Despite the growing complexity of influencing factors, the developments in the field of spectroscopy help to provide answers. These include, for instance, optical methods, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and spectrometry, in particular element and molecular mass spectrometry. And we mustn’t forget the improvements to modern separation technologies like high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and gas chromatography (GC) or to advancing miniaturisation for reducing sample quantities.
Analytics has also become indispensable to modern chemicals research at Bayer HealthCare for whom I work. In our quest for new medicaments we utilise analytical developments, for instance the latest screening systems based on nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) or clinical chemical methods using NMR and mass spectrometry (metabonomics) for clarifying side effect profiles of new substances.
We are creating these innovations in our network of small high tech companies and universities. Supported by these partnerships we can together develop new analytical methods until they are ready for application. Presenting a high density of scientists and entrepreneurs and the needed infrastructure, the Berlin location is virtually predestined for this. Adlershof, for instance, is one of these nuclei of excellence – and a clear locational advantage for us all.