The winners for the most innovative ideas of KIT 2021 are:

Ideas Award

1st place "LONGCOVIDMA"

LONGCOVIDMA is a combination of a high-throughput assay in zebrafish larvae with the establishment of a non-hazardous pseudo-SARS-Cov2 that can be used under safety level S2 and enable efficient rapid testing of compounds. LONGCOVIDMA thus makes possible the testing of thousands of previously untested, unique new compounds against SARS-CoV-2 and could contribute to the reliable identification of suitable agents. Likewise, this approach could be used to rapidly respond to potential mutants.

Institute for Biological and Chemical Systems - Functional Molecular Systems, Institute for Functional Interfaces
Prize winners: Prof. Dr. Ute Schepers, Dr. Nicole Jung, Prof. Dr. Pavel Levkin, Prof. Dr. Stefan Bräse, Dr. Claudine Herlan, Dr. Anke Deckers, Dr. Anna Popova

2nd place "Catavis - Rethink Chemistry"

By embedding enzymes in hydrogels (CataGel), stable, biocatalytically active materials, so-called biocatalysts, can be formed, which enable the performance of any chemical reactions up to complicated asymmetric syntheses. With this method, a future-oriented green chemistry would be possible.

Institute for Biological Interfaces 1 - Biomolecular Micro- and Nanostructures
Prize winners: Patrick Bitterwolf, Sandra Kröll, Dr. Ahmed Zoheir, Prof. Dr. Christof Niemeyer, Dr. Kersten Rabe

3rd place "POMCAT"

Behind the title 'Bio-Inspired Heterometallic Polyoxometalate-Based Water-Splitting Catalysts for Energy Conversion/Storage Processes' is the development of an artificial photosynthesis modeled on nature, which would enable further regenerative use of solar energy.

Institute for Nanotechnology
Laureates: Dr. Masooma Ibrahim, Prof. Pedro de Oliveira

Transfer Award

1st place "Aquarray"

Aquarray stands for an innovative droplet micro array technology that has the potential to become a game changer in the field of high-throughput screening and impresses with its low reagent consumption. The application range of an automated screening system and cell screening is enormous and extends from pharmaceuticals, diagnostics and biotechnology to the chemical environment.

Institute for Biological and Chemical Systems, company partner: Aquarray GmbH
Laureates: Prof. Dr. Stefan Bräse, Prof. Dr. Pavel Levkin

2nd place "RE3ASON"

The Renewable Energies and Energy Efficiency Analysis and System OptimizatioN model can be used primarily by municipalities to perform automated analyses, e.g., to determine energy demand and the potential for renewable energies. Among other things, it can be used to determine which buildings consume a particularly large amount of heat and how much electricity and heat could be generated by photovoltaic, wind power or bioenergy systems, for example.

Institute of Industrial Management and Industrial Production, company partner: greenventory GmbH
Prize winners: Prof. Dr. Wolf Fichtner, Dr. Kai Mainzer

3rd place "NukPlaRStoR"

Ongoing and completed nuclear dismantling projects show that dismantling is technically safe, but that there is still considerable potential for optimization and cost savings in project management. NukPlaRStoR is a planning tool that is tailored to the requirements of nuclear dismantling projects and can significantly simplify dismantling projects and save costs and time.

Institute of Industrial Management and Industrial Production, company partner: RODIAS GmbH
Award winners: Prof. Dr. Frank Schultmann, Dr.-Ing. Rebekka Volk, M.Sc. Marco Gehring

The application round for the upcoming innovation contest will start in November.