Chinese Delegation Visiting Würzburg

The partnership between the Universities of Würzburg and Jinan was initiated by the collaboration of the professors Jun Wu and Gerhard Bringmann. For years, they have been jointly investigating new pharmaceutic agents from marine organisms and from mangrove plants growing in the tidal zones of tropical countries. Modules of the Chinese‐German cooperation are the joint mentoring of PhD theses and the exchange of scientists. Thus, at the beginning of June, for the first time a post‐doctoral student of Jinan University will come to Würzburg for a research stay.

Indicative of this success of the cooperation are also joint publications in high‐ranking scientific journals. As acknowledgement of the good collaboration and as an appreciation of his scientific accomplishments, Bringmann, holder of the Chair of Organic Chemistry I at the University of Würzburg, received the distinction of an Honorary Professor of Jinan University in 2012.

For the first time a delegation of our Chinese partner university has now visited the University of Würzburg, representing the subjects of chemistry, pharmacy, and medicine: the Dean of the College of Pharmacy, the Vice Dean of the Medical School, several other professors of these institutions, and the Deputy Director of the International Affairs Office of Jinan University.

Joint Laboratory of Natural Products Chemistry Planned

The President of the University of Würzburg, Prof. Alfred Forchel, welcomed the delegation in the Senate Hall, where an agreement of intent was signed on the planned foundation of a joint international lab for natural products research in Guangzhou. This lab is to investigate and develop new pharmaceutical drugs following natural precedents. Heads of this laboratory will be Jun Wu and Gerhard Bringmann.

Focus on a Substance Against Bio-Film Formation

The two scientists already have a promising substance from mangrove plants in hands: It has a particularly strong effect against the formation of bio-films by certain bacteria, which often is a big problem on medical instruments.

A part of the discussions thus focused on new cooperations to further improve the efficiency of this substance and to investigate its mechanism of action. This was the topic of the conversation with Dr. Heike Bruhn, Quality Manager of the scientific network SFB 630 „Agents against Infectious Diseases“, of which Bringmann is the coordinator.

A Second Possible Axis of Cooperation

During further meetings additional possible collaborations with the German-Chinese course "Modern China" were discussed with its coordinator, Professor Björn Alpermann, Chair of Contemporary Chinese Studies at the University of Würzburg.

In addition to the successful cooperation in the field of new bioactive agents, this project might become a second important axis of cooperation between the two universities.

Contact

Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. mult. Gerhard Bringmann, Institute of Organic Chemistry of the University of Würzburg, T +49 931 31-85323, bringman@chemie.uni-wuerzburg.de