On July 13, 2023, PRIF had the honor to welcome Prof. Dr Peter R. Schreiner, PhD, Professor of Organic Chemistry at Justus Liebig University, for an exchange in the context of the Cluster for Natural and Technical Science Arms Control Research (CNTR). Peter R. Schreiner, who is an associate fellow at the PRIF since 2023, gave an overview of his professional career and the areas of research of his working group.
As Co-Head of Research Group within the CNTR project, Peter R. Schreiner contributes his many years of expertise to PRIF’s natural and technical science arms control research. The project brings together researchers from the natural sciences with researchers trained in peace and conflict studies in order to develop an interdisciplinary understanding of the opportunities and risks arising from scientific and technological developments. The cooperation with Justus Liebig University Gießen and Technical University of Darmstadt within the framework of CNTR makes a valuable contribution to anchoring natural science expertise at PRIF.
Prof. Schreiner’s team at Justus Liebig University conducts research on a number of innovative concepts in organic chemistry, including organocatalytic reactions, nanodiamonds, and quantum mechanical tunnel effects. In his lecture, he presented examples of some of the methods and patents developed through his team’s research. For example, these are used in the production of drugs against Alzheimer’s disease or malaria and offer cheaper, more accessible and more sustainable alternatives to established methods.
Following the lecture, the participants discussed the importance of cooperation between the natural and social sciences and the conditions under which such interdisciplinary partnership can succeed.