What’s the background of a Noble Prize winner in chemistry, where are the next innovations in science, and how do you say “asymmetric organocatalysis”? Find out the answers on this week's episode as we chat with David MacMillan. 

From food production to industrial manufacturing, catalysts are all around us and play an outsized role in our lives. It’s estimated that 90% of all commercially produced chemical products are reliant on catalysts at some point in the manufacturing process. Many of these reactions aren’t sustainable. When studying as a post-doc at Harvard, David MacMillan had a eureka moment that led to groundbreaking research for green chemistry with his innovative organocatalysis.

David also works to catalyze human connections and accelerate scientific advancement through his work at the Princeton Catalysis Initiative. His insights into catalyzing cross-field collaboration are sure to inspire!

About David MacMillan
David MacMillan is a Nobel laureate, the James S. McDonnell Distinguished University Professor of Chemistry at Princeton University, and director of the Princeton Catalysis Initiative, which accelerates research collaboration between scholars at Princeton and industry. He conceptualized and pioneered the field of asymmetric organocatalysis, and in 2021, he was named a co-recipient of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his work in the field.

Along with numerous awards and commendations, Professor MacMillan has been elected a Fellow of the Royal Society and a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Princeton Catalysis Initiative
PCI catalyzes collaborations between molecular, physical, biological, and social scientists who conduct high-impact research across disparate fields of study. By creating a new mechanism conducive to interdisciplinary research, PCI unites historically distinct areas to unleash new thinking, novel technologies, and ground-breaking applications.

Links: 

https://chemistry.princeton.edu/faculty/david-macmillan

https://pci.princeton.edu/

https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/chemistry/2021/macmillan/facts/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organocatalysis

Qualio Website

Previous episodes: https://www.qualio.com/from-lab-to-launch-podcast

Apply to be on the show: https://forms.gle/uUH2YtCFxJHrVGeL8

Music by keldez

Qualio website:
https://www.qualio.com/

Previous episodes:
https://www.qualio.com/from-lab-to-launch-podcast

Apply to be on the show:
https://forms.gle/uUH2YtCFxJHrVGeL8

Music by keldez