Winners of the Prize for the Promotion of Interdisciplinarity in Crystallography

The Waltrude-and-Friedrich-Liebau-prize for the promotion of interdisciplinarity in crystallography is awarded to works in which either methods and approaches of crystallography to problems of another science (partner science) or methods and approaches of a partner science to problems of crystallography have been successfully applied. In this way, the prize helps to promote the linking of crystallography with other sciences in teaching and research and to make this link more visible to the public. Further information can be found in the price regulation.

Laureates
2022 Juan Manuel García-Ruiz Mineralogist
The award honors his fundamentally innovative observations on the biological origin of microfossil structures as well as his pioneering investigations of the chemical activity of self-assembling mineral aggregates, which contribute to a new understanding of the importance of inorganic mineral assemblies for the formation of natural biorelevant molecules under geochemical conditions and thus provide essential building blocks for the establishment of a plausible prebiotic chemistry.
Mineral self-organization on a lifeless planet
Selected publications:

García-Ruiz, J. M., Van Zuilen, M. A. & Bach, W.: Mineral self-organization on a lifeless planet. Physics of Life Reviews, 2020 35, 62-82.
García-Ruiz et al.: Self-Assembled Silica-Carbonate Structures & Detection of Ancient Microfossils. Science 2003, 302, 1194
2021 Gilberto Artioli Crystallographer
The award honors his important work, which in an outstanding way combines methods and findings of the exact natural sciences, in particular crystallography, with important issues of both cultural sciences, such as the study of the material cultural heritage of mankind like archaeometry, and applied material sciences like cement research, in which he manages in impressive ways to communicate his results and their significance to a broad audience, thereby making the importance of crystallography visible far beyond its disciplinary boundaries.
Application of crystallography to archaeometallurgy: origin of copper and technological analysis of the Iceman’s axe
Selected publications:

„LIA of prehistoric metals in the Central Mediterranean area: a review“, Archaeometry 62, Suppl. 1, 53–85 (2020)
Powder diffraction in art and archaeology“, In: International Tables for Crystallography. Volume H: Powder Diffraction. Chapter 7.4. IUCr-Wiley. 759-766 (2019)
The contribution of mineralogy to cultural heritage“, EMU Notes in Mineralogy, Vol. 20. European Mineralogical Union, Mineralogical Society of Great Britain & Ireland. 448 (2019)
Earth Sciences for Cultural Heritage“, Elements 12, 13-18 (2016)
„Science for the cultural heritage: the contribution of X-ray diffraction“, Rend. Lincei – Scienze Fisiche e Naturali, 24 (Suppl 1), 55-62 (2013)
Scientific methods and the cultural heritage“, Oxford University Press, Oxford. 552 (2010)
2020 Julian Voss-Andreae Sculptor & Physicist
The award recognizes his significant artistic and creative work, with which the prizewinner, who is characterized by his physical and, not least, crystallographic background, succeeded in a particularly impressive manner in using original artistic means to convey crystallographic methods and research results beyond the circles of art-loving scientists to a broad public. In this way, in the spirit of the founders of the prize, the transdisciplinary significance of crystallography, its methods and research results achieved are made visible to an interested audience beyond the boundaries of the natural sciences.
Selected protein sculptures (clockwise from upper left): “Heart of Steel” [human hemoglobin] in three stages of oxidization after a few days, one month and several months; “Synergy” [human collagen] at Rutgers University; “Angel of the West” [human antibody IgG] at the Scripps Research Institute; Nanos [Microcin J25]
Collection of works
Selected articles on protein sculptures
2019 Sebastian Bette Chemist
The award honors his significant scientific work, combining for mutual benefit modern methods of crystallography, especially of X-ray powder diffraction, with methods of conservation science, in particular tasks of preserving and restoring archaeological, ethnological, artistic and artistic objects.
Glass beer jug, ca. 1800, with crystal formations at contact region to lid
Selected publikations:
„Glass-Induced Lead Corrosion of Heritage Objects: Structural Characterization of K(OH)·2PbCO3“, Inorganic Chemistry (2017), 56, 5762.
On Verdigris, Part I: Synthesis, Crystal Structure Solution and Characterisation of the 1-2-0 phase (Cu3(CH3COO)2(OH)4)“, Dalton Transactions (2017), 46, 14847.
Characterization of a new efflorescence salt on calcareous historic objects stored in wood cabinets: Ca2(CH3COO)(HCOO)(NO3)2·4H2O“, Corrosion Science (2018) 132, 68. (Preprint)
2010 Harry Müller Sculptor
The award honors his artistic life’s work, to which crystallographic approaches have contributed as an essential source of creative creation.
Catalog of the 50th anniversary exhibition, Leipzig 2009