Letno po roči lo / Annual report 2020
SI - 1000 Ljubljana Hajdrihova 19 p.p. 660
Tel: 01/476 02 00 Faks: 01/47603 00 www.ki.si
SI - 1000 Ljubljana Hajdrihova 19 p.p. 660
Phone: +386 (0)1/476 02 00 Faks: +386 (0)1/47603 00 www.ki.si
2020
Letno poročilo Annual report
2020
Poročilo o delu v letu 2020 / Annual report in year 2020 ISSN 2630-1849
Ima spletno izdajo / Online version:
Poročilo o delu (Kemijski inštitut, Online) = ISSN 2630-1865
Založil / Published by:
Kemijski inštitut, Hajdrihova 19, Ljubljana, Slovenija (www.ki.si)
Uredili / Edited by:
Brigita Pirc in / and dr. Tatjana Tišler (bibliografija/bibliography)
Fotografije / Photo:
Arhiv Kemijskega inštituta / Archive of the National Institute of Chemistry
Oblikovanje naslovnice/ Cover Design:
Katja Zelinka Škerlavaj in / and Peter Škerlavaj
Oblikovanje / Design:
Mayer McCann Ljubljana
Tisk / Print:
ZERA d.o.o., Likozarjeva ulica 3, 1000 Ljubljana Ljubljana, 2021
Naklada / Circulation:
250 izvodov / copies
Brezplačna publikacija / Complimentary publication
Letno poročilo Annual report
2020
Kazalo Index
6 8 14 33 42 44 86 94 102 106 109 122 126 127 132 138 144 150 156 162 168 174 180 186 192 198
Vision, mission and values Director’s introductory words
A look into 2020
Exhibition activity at the National Institute of Chemistry 2020
Management of the Institute Operating review of the institute Employees and education
Publications and Citations in 2020 Transfer of knowledge to the economy Project office
Successes, awards and recognitions in 2020
General Sector
Conferences at the National Institute of Chemistry in 2020
Conference announcements
Theory Department
Department of Analytical Chemistry Department of Food Chemistry
Department of Polymer Chemistry and Technology Department of Inorganic Chemistry and Technology Department of Materials Chemistry
Department of Molecular Biology and Nanobiotechnology
Department of Synthetic Biology and Immunology Department of Catalysis and Chemical Reaction Engineering Slovenian NMR Centre
Center for Validation Technologies and Analytics
Bibliography Vizija, poslanstvo in vrednote
Direktorjeva uvodna beseda Utrip v letu 2020
Razstavna dejavnost Kemijskega inštituta 2020 Vodstvo inštituta
Pregled poslovanja inštituta Zaposleni in izobraževanje Objave in citiranost v letu 2020 Prenos znanja v gospodarstvo Projektna pisarna
Uspehi, nagrade in priznanja v letu 2020 Splošni sektor
Konferenci na Kemijskem inštitutu v letu 2020
Napovedi konferenc
Odsek za analizno kemijo Odsek za prehrambeno kemijo
Odsek za polimerno kemijo in tehnologijo Odsek za anorgansko kemijo in tehnologijo Odsek za kemijo materialov
Odsek za molekularno biologijo in nanobiotehnologijo
Odsek za sintezno biologijo in imunologijo Odsek za katalizo in reakcijsko inženirstvo Nacionalni center za NMR spektroskopijo visoke ločljivosti
Center za validacijske tehnologije in analitiko Bibliografija
Vizija, poslanstvo
in vrednote Vision, mission and values
Vizija
Z vrhunskimi raziskavami premikamo meje zna- nosti. S kreiranjem trendov soustvarjamo indu- strije prihodnosti. S prenosom znanja na mlade in s prizadevanjem za dobre medsebojne odno- se omogočamo razvoj karier. Predani znanosti želimo postati najboljši na svetu.
Poslanstvo
Kemijski inštitut je znanstveno odlična, uve- ljavljena in prebojna raziskovalna ustanova v
Vision
With our cutting-edge research, we are pushing the boundaries of science. Through the creation of trends, we are co-creating the industries of the future.
Through the transfer of knowledge to young people and the pursuit of good interpersonal relations, we are enabling the development of careers. Devoted to science, we aim to become the best in the world.
Mission
The National Institute of Chemistry is a scientifi- cally excellent, established and a breakthrough re-
evropskem prostoru. S svojimi vrhunskimi razi- skavami bogatimo svetovno zakladnico znanja in sodelujemo pri reševanju najbolj perečih izzivov družbe. Zdravje, trajnostna energija, podnebne spremembe, krožno gospodarstvo in varna hrana so najpomembnejši med njimi. Svoje raziskoval- ne cilje merimo v presežkih, ki premikajo meje v znanosti in ustvarjajo nove vrednosti. Znanje uspešno prenašamo v industrijsko okolje in tako dolgoročno podpiramo umeščenost znanosti v razvoj družbe.
Vključujemo se v mednarodna multidiscipli- narna raziskovalna omrežja ter se povezujemo z najboljšimi globalnimi raziskovalnimi instituci- jami, skupinami in posamezniki. Tako plemeniti- mo svojo znanstveno odličnost. Vsak dan znova želimo biti tudi odprt učni prostor za mlade raz- iskovalce. Z najrazličnejšimi projekti in materi- alno podporo ustvarjamo spodbudno okolje, kjer lahko razvijajo svojo radovednost in udejanjajo svojo raziskovalno ustvarjalnost. S tem skrbimo za vpetost stroke v življenja prihodnjih generacij.
Zaposlenim zagotavljamo navdihujoče delovno okolje, v katerem lahko uresničujejo svoje pro- fesionalno poslanstvo. Ponosni smo, da medo- sebni odnosi temeljijo na odprti, povezani, ena- kovredni in vključujoči kulturi, ki se ne omejuje na spol ali raso. Hkrati si prizadevamo postati razlog za vrnitev v tujini delujočih odličnih slo- venskih znanstvenikov. S svojim poslanstvom tako prispevamo k blagostanju širše slovenske družbe in smo zgled za odličnost.
Vrednote
Odličnost – z vrhunsko opremo in znanjem od- krivamo neznano.
Sodelovanje – skupaj rešujemo najtežje izzive.
Pogum – smo vedoželjni, ustvarjalni in pogumni.
Brez meja – smo globalno vpeti in odprti za so- delovanje.
Delimo znanje – ozaveščamo javnost, širimo znanje med mladimi in ga prenašamo v gospo- darstvo.
Družina – zaupamo drug drugemu in smo si v oporo.
search institution in the European area. With our cutting-edge research, we are enriching the glob- al treasury of knowledge and working together to solve the most pressing challenges faced by soci- ety. Health, sustainable energy, climate change, a circular economy and safe food are the most im- portant among them. We measure our research goals in surpluses that push the borders of science and create new values. We successfully transfer knowledge to the industrial environment and thus, in the long term, support the placement of science in the development of society.
We are members of international multidiscipli- nary research networks and we collaborate with the best global research institutions, groups and individuals. This is how we ennoble our scientific excellence. We aim to be an open learning space for young researchers on a daily basis. With a va- riety of projects and material support, we create a stimulating environment where they can develop their curiosity and realise their research creativity.
By doing so, we ensure the integration of the pro- fession into the lives of future generations.
We provide our employees with an inspiring work- ing environment in which they can carry out their professional mission. We are proud that our interper- sonal relationships are based on an open, integrated, equitable and inclusive culture that is not limited in terms of gender or race. At the same time, we strive to become the reason for the return of excellent Slo- venian scientists abroad. With our mission, we con- tribute to the well-being of the wider Slovenian soci- ety and are also an example of excellence.
Values
Excellence – with cutting-edge equipment and knowledge, we discover the unknown.
Collaboration – we tackle the most difficult chal- lenges together.
Courage – we are curious, creative and daring.
Without borders – we are globally engaged and open to collaboration.
We share knowledge – we raise public aware- ness, spread knowledge among young people and transfer it to the economy.
Family – we trust and support each other.
2020 was definitely a year to remember. It was a year that many would prefer to skip over. We will remember it for the global coronavirus epidemic, which significantly cut into both our Institute’s and our private lives. The epidemic caused us to face numerous unprecedented challenges. We were forced to significantly adapt our way of working and ensure the safety of employees, while at the same ensuring the continued operation of the In- stitute. Many employees worked from home for the majority of the year, we saw less of each other in the hallways, we did not meet in person at lec- tures and conventions and we did not socialise at conferences and events.
Despite these challenging circumstances, we had an excellent research and business year.
We made numerous scientific achievements, acquired new European projects, upgraded our research infrastructure and, most importantly, successfully participated in the fight against the coronavirus epidemic. Our response to these seri- ous circumstances was quick, and we also made a scientific contribution to coronavirus research.
Through various publications in the media, we also helped to properly inform the public about the epidemic, the spread of the dangerous virus and approaches to prevent infections.
Among the most important upgrades of our research infrastructure, I would like to highlight the successfully completed investment in the re- search equipment of the Slovenian NMR Centre and the completion of the construction and fur- nishing of the RNA Regulatory Networks Labora- tory. NMR Centre now boasts two new and two upgraded NMR spectrometers, which will enable Leto 2020 si bomo zagotovo zapomnili. Bilo je leto,
za katerega marsikdo pravi, da bi ga najraje kar preskočil. Spominjali se ga bomo po globalni epi- demiji koronavirusa, ki je pošteno zarezala tako v inštitutski kot v naš zasebni vsakdan. Epidemi- ja nas je postavila pred vrsto neslutenih izzivov.
Primorani smo bili močno prilagoditi način dela ter poskrbeti za varnost zaposlenih, ob vsem tem pa zagotoviti nemoteno delovanje inštituta. Mnogi zaposleni so velik del leta delali od doma, manj smo se videvali na hodnikih, nismo se v živo sre- čevali na predavanjih in kolokvijih, nismo se druži- li na konferencah in prireditvah. Kljub razmeram, ki nam niso bile najbolj naklonjene, smo razisko- valno in poslovno leto odlično izpeljali.
Nanizali smo vrsto znanstvenih dosežkov, prido- bili smo nove evropske projekte, posodobili smo našo raziskovalno infrastrukturo, in kar je še po- sebej pomembno, uspešno smo se vključili v bolj proti epidemiji koronavirusa. Hitro smo se odzvali na pereče razmere in tudi v znanstvenem smislu prispevali k raziskavam na področju koronaviru- sa. Z najrazličnejšimi objavami v medijih pa smo pripomogli tudi k ustrezni obveščenosti javnosti glede epidemije, širjenja nevarnega virusa in pri- stopih za preprečevanje okužb.
Med pomembnejšimi posodobitvami naše raz- iskovalne infrastrukture naj izpostavim uspešno zaključeno investicijo v raziskovalno opremo Na- cionalnega centra za NMR spektroskopijo visoke ločljivosti, ter dokončanje gradnje in opreme pro- storov Laboratorija za RNA omrežja. NMR center je bogatejši za dva nova in dva nadgrajena NMR spektrometra, s čemer bo tako v akademski kot v gospodarski sferi omogočal vrhunske raziskave
Direktorjeva
uvodna beseda Direcor's
introductory words
top-level research for solving societal challenges in both the academic and economic spheres. With the new RNA Regulatory Networks Laboratory, we provided Dr. Ule’s team suitable conditions for performing activities within the framework of the acquired ERC project. I am also pleased to report that, after many years of efforts, we signed an agreement on scientific membership with the Max von Laue-Paul Langevin Institute (ILL), a leading international neutron scattering research centre.
The introduction of neutron scattering research will open up a wide range of state-of-the-art ana- lytical methods to Slovenian scientists and at the same time provide them with new opportunities for participating in international scientific trends.
The year of the coronavirus epidemic was also marked by successes in acquiring new projects.
For example, we acquired the fifth prestigious European Research Council (ERC) project. It is led by Prof. Dr. Matej Praprotnik, the Head of the Laboratory for Molecular Modelling at the Theory Department. Within the framework of the MUL- TraSonicA project, he will focus on modelling and simulating ultrasonic drug delivery for more ad- vanced treatment of cancer, inflammations and other diseases. The National Institute of Chem- istry continues to demonstrate its excellence and is one of the leading institutions in the region in terms of the number of ERC projects.
We will also continue to strive to create an en- couraging research and work environment and especially to enable the development of young researchers. As many as 32 doctoral candidates started their academic journey at our Institute in 2020. To provide them with the best possible
Director’s
introductory words
pri reševanju družbenih izzivov. Z novim Labora- torijem za RNA omrežja pa smo raziskovalni ekipi dr. Uleta zagotovili ustrezne pogoje za izvajanje aktivnosti v okviru pridobljenega ERC projekta.
Veseli me še, da smo po večletnih prizadevanjih sklenili sporazum o znanstvenem članstvu z Inšti- tutom Maxa von Laueja – Paula Langevina (ILL), vodilnim mednarodnim raziskovalnim centrom za nevtronsko sipanje. Vpeljava raziskav z nev- tronskim sipanjem bo slovenskim znanstvenikom odprla širok nabor najsodobnejših analitskih me- tod, ter jim hkrati zagotovila tudi nove možnosti za vključevanje v mednarodne znanstvene tokove.
Leto epidemije koronavirus so zaznamovali tudi uspehi pri pridobivanju novih projektov. Pridobili smo denimo že peti ugledni projekt Evropskega raziskovalnega sveta (ERC). Njegov nosilec je prof.
dr. Matej Praprotnik, vodja Laboratorija za mole- kularno modeliranje na Teoretičnem odseku. V okviru projekta MULTraSonicA se bo posvečal mo- deliranju in simulaciji ultrazvočne dostave zdra- vil za naprednejše zdravljenje rakavih, vnetnih in drugih obolenj. Kemijski inštitut tako še naprej izkazuje svojo odličnost in je ena od vodilnih inšti- tucij v regiji glede na število ERC projektov.
Še naprej pa smo si prizadevali tudi za ustvar- janje vzpodbudnega raziskovalnega in delovne- ga okolja, ter še posebej za omogočanje razvoja mladih znanstvenih upov. V letu 2020 je tako na našem inštitutu svojo akademsko pot začelo kar 32 doktorandk in doktorandov. Da bi jim nudili karseda dobro podporo, smo v tem letu začrtali še strategijo za ustrezno raven mentoriranja mladih znanstvenic in znanstvenikov, ki na Kemijskem in- štitutu opravljajo doktorske naloge.
Ob vsem tem pa zremo tudi v prihodnost. A ne le v leto 2021, ki bo za naš inštitut jubilejno leto, saj bomo obeležili 75. obletnico ustanovitve. Snujemo namreč že dolgoročnejše načrte za razvoj naše znanstvenoraziskovalne ustanove. Med temi so na prvem mestu novi raziskovalni centri, ki bodo razvijali moderna področja, pomembna za reše- vanje aktualnih družbenih izzivov, denimo razvoj inovativnih zdravil in cepiv, trajnostnih virov ener- gije, baterij ter krožnega gospodarstva, pa tudi za podporo razvoju podjetij in tehnologij.
A ob uspehih in načrtih želim predvsem, da bi razmere, v katere nas je pahnilo 'drugačno' leto, čimprej izzvenele. Da bi v teh nenavadnih časih vsi skupaj ohranili veliko mero optimizma, in pred- vsem, da bi ostali zdravi!
support, we also drafted a strategy for a suit- able level of mentoring young scientists that work on their doctoral theses at the National Institute of Chemistry.
In addition to all of that, we are also looking to- wards the future. But not only into 2021, which will be a jubilee year for our Institute, as we will celebrate the 75th anniversary of its founding. We are already preparing long-term plans for the de- velopment of our scientific research institution.
The priority among these are the new research centres that will develop modern scientific fields, important for solving current societal challenges, for example developing innovative drugs and vacci- nations, sustainable energy sources, batteries and circular economy as well as providing support for the development of companies and technologies.
Despite these successes and plans, I first and foremost hope that the situation that was the cause of this “different” year will end as soon as possible. That we together maintain a high level of optimism in these unusual times and especially that we stay healthy!
prof. dr. Gregor Anderluh
Ministrica za izobraževanje, znanost in šport prof. dr. Simona Kustec in prof. dr. Janez Plavec Minister of Education, Science and Sport and Prof. Dr. Janez Plavec
Direktor prof. dr. Gregor Anderluh na omizju "Kako inovacije spreminjajo svet"
Director Prof. Dr. Gregor Anderluh at the round table: "How innovation works"
Utrip v letu 2020 A look into 2020
1 -3
Utrip v letu 2020 A look into 2020
1 -3
Utrip v letu 2017
Utrip v letu 2020 A look into 2020
Leto 2020 je močno zaznamovala pandemija ko- ronavirusa, zaradi katere smo že v začetku leta morali nekaj načrtovanih dogodkov odpovedati.
Takoj ko je bilo možno, smo se na Kemjskem in- štitutu pridružili boju poti koronavirusu in sicer z organizacijo pogovorov, omizij in osveščanja naj- širše javnosti o resnosti teme, kot tudi z razvojem cepiva in hitrih testov. V drugi polovici leta smo se prilagodili razmeram in večino dogodkov izvedli preko videospleta. Vsi dogodki, ki smo jih orga- nizirali, beležijo odlično udeležbo. V nadaljevanju predstavljamo dogodke, kot smo jih organizirali po mesecih.
2020 was heavily marked by the coronavirus pan- demic, which forced us to cancel some of our planned events already at the start of the year. The National Institute of Chemistry joined the fight against the coronavirus as soon as it was possi- ble, organising discussions and round tables and raising awareness of the general public about the seriousness of the issue, as well as by developing a vaccine and rapid tests. In the second half of the year, we adapted to the situation and held most of the events via online video. All the events we organised had a great turnout. They are presented by the months in which they were organised.
JANUAR
• Že v začetku leta, 13. januarja nas je presenetila žalostna vest, da nas je zapustil akademik prof.
dr. Janez Levec, nekdanji v.d. direktorja Kemij- skega inštituta, zaslužni raziskovalec in dolgo- letni vodja Laboratorija za katalizo in reakcijsko inženirstvo. V njegov spomin smo 22. 1. 2020 or- ganizirali žalno sejo.
JANUARY
• Early on in the year, on 13 January, we were saddened to hear about the passing of aca- demic Prof. Dr. Janez Levec, the former acting director of the National Institute of Chemistry, Researcher Emeritus and long-time head of the Department of Catalysis and Chemical Re- action Engineering. A mourning session in his memory was held on 22 January 2020.
Virusni delec SARS-CoV-2 SARS-CoV-2 virus particle
Akademiku
prof. dr. Janezu Levcu (1943 – 2020) v slovo
Sporočamo žalostno vest, da se je poslovil eden največjih slovenskih kemijskih inženirjev akade- mik prof. dr. Janez Levec. Znanstvenik, profesor, predvsem pa predan kemijski inženir nas je za- pustil 13. januarja 2020. Na področju kemijske- ga inženirstva je pustil velik in neizbrisen pečat, tako doma kot po svetu. Posvečal se je predvsem načrtovanju kemijskih reaktorjev, kinetiki in ka- talizi, po čemer je bil tudi najbolj poznan. Štu- denti ga pomnijo po enem izmed najtežjih izpi- tov, bil je neizprosen, a tudi do sebe. Janez Levec se je rodil 23. oktobra 1943 v Začretu pri Celju.
1962 je maturiral na kemijskem odseku tehniške srednje šole v Ljubljani. Po enoletni zaposlitvi na Kemijskem inštitutu Borisa Kidriča je nadaljeval študij kemijske tehnologije na Fakulteti za nara- voslovje in tehnologijo (FNT) v Ljubljani, kjer je diplomiral 1968. Že od malega, pa tudi kasneje, ga je vodila ljubezen do strojništva in inženirstva, to pa je botrovalo tudi zelo veliki natančnosti pri
In Farewell to Academic Prof. Dr. Janez Levec (1943–2020)
We are sad to announce the news of the passing of one of the greatest Slovenian chemical engineers, academic Prof. Dr. Janez Levec. The scientist, pro- fessor and above all dedicated chemical engineer passed away on 13 January 2020. He left a huge and indelible mark on chemical engineering, both at home and worldwide. He devoted himself mainly to designing chemical reactors, kinetics and catalysis, for which he was also best known. Students remem- ber him for one of the toughest exams; he was very strict, including with himself. Janez Levec was born on 23 October 1943 in Začret near Celje. He passed the school-leaving exam in 1962 at the chemical de- partment of the Technical Secondary School in Lju- bljana. Following a one-year stint at the Boris Kidrič Institute of Chemistry, he continued studying chemi- cal technology at the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Technology (FNT) in Ljubljana, where he graduated in 1968. From an early age and throughout his life, he was driven by a love of mechanical engineering
pripravi tehničnih risb, načrtovanju najrazličnej- ših naprav in kasneje reaktorjev. Podiplomski študijski program kemijske tehnologije je zaklju- čil leta 1970, dve leti kasneje pa je postal doktor kemijskih znanosti. 1971 se je zaposlil na Oddel- ku za kemijo FNT, kjer je bil izvoljen za asistenta.
1974 je bil izvoljen za docenta s področja kemij- skega inženirstva, 1979 za izrednega in 1984 za rednega profesorja. Na Kemijskem inštitutu je bil od leta 1985 tudi vodja Laboratorija za katalizo in reakcijsko inženirstvo. Po vrnitvi iz Združenih Držav Amerike, je v študij kemijskega inženir- stva vpeljal sodobne pristope h katalizi, kinetiki in inženirstvu, uporabne še dandanes. 1981/82 je prejel štipendijo Fulbrightovega sklada za ome- njeno podoktorsko izpopolnjevanje in v ZDA se je kasneje zelo rad vračal. 1996 mu je Ministrstvo za znanost in tehnologijo podelilo priznanje Am- basador Republike Slovenije v znanosti, in sicer ravno zaradi njegove izjemne prepoznavnosti.
Kdor ga je poznal, se bo spomnil njegovih šte- vilnih pripovedovanj o Ameriki, kjer je tudi sam trdo delal, se naučil številnih inženirskih prvin, ki jih je pripeljal domov, hkrati pa je tudi veliko potoval oziroma sam prevozil. Janez Levec je bil član Slovenske akademije znanosti in umetnosti od leta 1997, bil pa je tudi prejemnik Kidričeve nagrade za vrhunske raziskovalne dosežke 1988 in Velike Preglove nagrade za raziskovalno delo Kemijskega inštituta 2009. Profesor Levec, kar je bil za večino nas, Janez, za bližnje znance ali prijatelje, je bil človek dejanj. Kot profesor te je pripravil na življenje, tako poklicno kot tudi za- sebno, ki ni vedno zgolj rožnato ali enostavno.
Kot raziskovalec nam je vcepil vztrajnost, osre- dotočenost in potrpežljivost, zlepa ali zgrda. Kot vodja je navdihoval. Čeprav se z njim nisi v vsem strinjal, si mu moral prepogosto kasneje sam pri sebi pritrditi. Kot direktor nas je na inštitutu pe- ljal naprej, ko so bili časi težki. Kot sodelavca ga bomo pogrešali. Manjkale nam bodo njegove ob- sežne izkušnje, izrazita odsotnost omahovanja, predvsem pa ljubezen do življenja samega.
doc. dr. Blaž Likozar and engineering, which also led to him being extre- mely precise in the making of technical drawings and the design of various devices and later reactors.
He completed the postgraduate study programme in chemical technology in 1970 and became a do- ctor of chemical sciences two years later. In 1971, he was hired by the Department of Chemistry of the FNT, where he was elected Teaching Assistant. He was elected Docent in chemical engineering in 1974, Associate Professor in 1979 and Full Professor in 1984. He was Head of the Department of Catalysis and Chemical Reaction Engineering at the National Institute of Chemistry from 1985. After his return from the US, he redesigned the study of chemical engineering to include modern approaches to ca- talysis, kinetics and engineering that are still in use today. In 1981/82, he received a Fulbright grant for his post-doctoral training in the US, which he real- ly liked going back to in his later life. In 1996, the Ministry of Science and Technology named him the Ambassador of Science of the Republic of Slovenia precisely because of his exceptional recognisability.
Those who knew him will remember his many stori- es about America, where he worked hard and lear- ned many engineering qualities that he then brou- ght back home with him, but he also did a great deal of travelling and even driving by himself. A member of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts from 1997, Janez Levec also received the Kidrič Award for Outstanding Scientific Achievements in 1988 and the Grand Pregl Award of the National Institute of Che- mistry for research work in 2009. Professor Levec, as he was known to most of us, or Janez to his close acquaintances or friends, was a man of action. As a professor, he prepared you for life, both professional and private, which is not always strewn with roses or easy. As a researcher, he instilled in us persisten- ce, focus and patience by any means necessary. As a leader, he was inspiring. Even though you did not agree with him on everything, more often than not you saw that he was right in the end. As Director of the Institute, he would encourage us to keep moving forward when times were tough. As our colleague, we will miss him. We will miss his extensive expe- rience, complete lack of hesitation and above all his love of life itself.
• Na Kemijskem inštitutu smo 20. januarja gostili predstavitev ene najboljših poslovnih knjig leta 2019 po izboru Združenja manager in GZS-Zbornice knjižnih založnikov in knji- gotržcev z naslovom Učinkovita implementa- cija tržnih strategij. Njena avtorica, dr. Ama- dea Dobovišek, je najprej knjigo predstavila, nato pa k pogovoru povabila Medejo Lončar, predsednico uprave Siemens Slovenija in Hr- vaška ter Marka Pleška, direktorja Cosylaba, da sta prispevala svoja mnenja in izkušnje o obravnavani problematiki. Okroglo mizo je domiselno povezoval Peter Frankl, direktor Časnika Finance.
• 22. januarja smo na obisku gostili ministrico za infrastrukturo gospo Alenko Bratušek in generalno sekretarko ministrstva gospo Ta- njo Šarabon. Gostji je sprejel direktor prof. dr.
Gregor Anderluh, ki jima je najprej predstavil organiziranost in delovanje ter način financi- ranja naše znanstvenoraziskovalne ustanove.
Nekoliko podrobneje jima je pojasnil delovanje naše Projektne pisarne, postopke prijavljanja na evropske projekte ter naše sodelovanje z domačimi in tujimi industrijskimi partnerji.
Ministrica in direktor sta v nadaljevanju spre- govorila o nacionalnem energetskem in pod-
• On 20 January, the National Institute of Chem- istry hosted a presentation of one of the best business books of 2019 as chosen by the Man- agers’ Association of Slovenia and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia – Pub- lishers and Booksellers Association. The title of the book is Učinkovita implementacija tržnih strategij (Effective Implementation of Market- ing Strategies). After presenting the book, its author Dr. Amadea Dobovišek invited Medeja Lončar, CEO of Siemens Slovenia and Croatia, and Mark Pleško, CEO of Cosylab, to share their opinions and experience on the topic at hand.
The round table was cleverly moderated by Pe- ter Frankl, Director of Finance magazine.
• On 22 January, we hosted the Minister of Infra- structure, Ms. Alenka Bratušek, and the Sec- retary General of the Ministry, Ms. Tanja Šara- bon. After welcoming the two guests, Director Prof. Dr. Gregor Anderluh showed them how our scientific research institute is organised, how it functions and how it is financed. He ex- plained in more detail how our Project Office works, the application procedures for Europe- an projects and our cooperation with industri- al partners at home and abroad. Afterwards, the Director and the Minister spoke about the Integrated National Energy and Climate Plan
nebnem načrtu (NEPN), akcijsko strateškem dokumentu, ki ga pripravlja ministrstvo za obdobje do leta 2030. Dokument določa cilje, politike in ukrepe na petih razsežnostih ener- getske unije - razogljičenje, energetska učin- kovitost, energetska varnost, notranji trg ter raziskave, inovacije in konkurenčnost.
FEBRUAR
• V okviru Galerije Kemijskega inštituta smo 13. februarja odprli kiparsko razstavo Boru- ta Korošca z naslovom ‘V nadstropjih sonca’.
Odprtje razstave je z glasbeno spremljavo na kitari popestril glasbenik Natko Štiglić.
MAREC
• Z marcem smo zaradi razglašene pandemije COVID-19, bolezni zaradi okužbe z novim ko- ronavirusom SARS-CoV-2, ki je prizadela tudi Slovenijo, morali do nadaljnjega odpovedati vse načrtovane dogodke. V teh razmerah je bilo najpomembneje skrbeti za naše zdravje in zdravje bližnjih. Za zaposlene in gostujoče raziskovalce smo zato pripravili navodila za ravnanje, ki so v skladu s smernicami Naci- onalnega inštituta za javno zdravje in pristoj- nih ministrstev. Po drugi strani pa smo mora- li zagotoviti delovanje družbe in tudi inštituta, da bi lahko prebrodili te težke čase. Ne glede na razmere smo poskrbeli, da je naš inštitut deloval naprej, v prilagojenh razmerah.
JUNIJ
• Utrip na Kemijskem inštitutu smo 2. juni- ja obogatili z odprtjem dveh knjigobežnic, prostorov z nekaj knjižnimi policami, kjer si zaposleni lahko izposojajo in si izmenjujejo knjige. Na ta način želimo spodbujati in raz- vijati bralno kulturo, ki je nepogrešljiv del vseživljenjskega učenja. Knjigobežnici v obli- ki drevesa sta nameščeni v zastekljeni man- sardi in v prvem nadstropju Preglovega cen- tra. Namestili smo ju v počastitev jubilejnega 50. svetovnega dneva knjige. S pomočjo več domačih založb, ki so nam podarile knjige, smo knjižne police tudi napolnili ter novi pri- dobitvi predali v uporabo. Ob tej priložnosti bi se želeli še enkrat zahvaliti vsem, ki so nam
(NEPN), a strategic document being prepared by the Ministry for the period up to 2030, laying down the objectives, policies and measures on the five dimensions of the Energy Union – de- carbonisation, energy efficiency, energy secu- rity, the internal energy market and research and innovation and competitiveness.
FEBRUARY
• On 13 February, at the National Institute of Chemistry’s Gallery, we opened a sculpture exhibition by Borut Korošec entitled “On the Floors of the Sun”. Musical accompaniment on the guitar for the opening of the exhibition was provided by musician Natko Štiglić.
MARCH
• In March, due to the declared pandemic of COV- ID-19, a disease resulting from infection with the new coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, which also affect- ed Slovenia, we had to cancel all planned events until further notice. Concern for our health and the health of our loved ones took precedence in these circumstances. We therefore drew up instructions for our employees and visiting re- searchers in accordance with the guidelines of the National Institute of Public Health and the competent ministries. On the other hand, we had to ensure the functioning of society and of the Institute in order to get through these diffi- cult times. Regardless of the circumstances, we made sure that our Institute continued to oper- ate, even though it was in adapted conditions.
JUNE
• On 2 June, we enriched the pulse at the Nation- al Institute of Chemistry with the opening of two rooms with bookshelves where employees can borrow and exchange books (each called kn- jigobežnica). The aim is to promote and devel- op a reading culture, which is an indispensable part of lifelong learning. The two tree-shaped knjigobežnica points are located in the glazed attic and on the first floor of the Pregl Center.
We installed them in celebration of the 50th an- niversary of World Book Day. We filled the book- shelves with the help of several local publishers who donated the books and then opened the two
Obisk ministrice za infrastrukturo Alenke Bratušek
The visit of Ms. Alenka Bratušek the Minister of Infrastructure
Knjigobežnica
Tree-shaped knjigobežnica point
new features for use. On this occasion, I would again like to thank everyone who helped us fill our two new knjigobežnica points with donated books. In addition to the Slovenian Book Agency, six Slovenian publishers joined our project with a donation: ZRC SAZU, UMco, Karantanija et Or- bis, Pasadena, Mladinska knjiga Založba, Belet- rina. With their help, our new collection grew to nearly 200 books that are available for exchange.
• The fifth Week of the National Institute of Chem- istry took place from 1 to 5 June 2020. Due to the coronavirus situation, we organised all our events so that the invited guests could follow them live online. We hosted the lecture of Dr.
Janez Potočnik, the former European Commis- sioner for the Environment, who in the light of climate change discussed the importance of natural resource management. At the round table organised in collaboration with the Youth for Climate Justice movement, we discussed the role of science in adapting to climate change.
Our guests included: Asist. Dr. Danijel Crnčec, Faculty of Social Sciences, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Luka Juvančič, Biotechnical Faculty, Prof. Dr. Tom Turk, Biotechnical Faculty, Tilen Sever, Steklar- na Hrastnik, and Doc. Dr. Blaž Likozar, National Institute of Chemistry. The round table was mod- erated by Primož Turnšek. The starting point for the discussion was the fact that the climate cri- sis poses the greatest existential threat to hu- manity in modern times. It is a complex problem that requires an interdisciplinary approach to be successfully solved, with technological inno- vation playing a major role in the transition to a carbon-free society and adaptation to climate change. This transition will require enhancing the efficiency of existing technologies, develop- ing new green technologies and technologies for climate change mitigation.
The second round table, where we discussed the position of foreign scientists in the Slovenian research environment, was prepared in collab- oration with the French Institute in Slovenia. We talked about the internationalisation of Sloveni- an science with foreign researchers living and working in Slovenia and with government repre- sentatives responsible for the labour market. Our guests included: Dr. Simona Kustec, Minister of s podarjenimi knjigami pomagali napolniti
naši novi knjigobežnici. Poleg Javne agenci- je za knjigo Republike Slovenije, je k našemu projektu z donacijo pristopilo še šest sloven- skih založb: ZRC SAZU, UMco, Karantanija et Orbis, Pasadena, Mladinska knjiga Založba, Beletrina. Z njihovo pomočjo se je v naši novi zbirki nabralo skoraj 200 knjig, ki so na raz- polago za izmenjavo.
• Od 1. do 5. junija 2020 je potekal že peti Te- den Kemijskega inštituta. Zaradi razmer s koronavirusom smo organizirali vse dogodke na način, da so jih povabljeni lahko spremlja- li v živo preko spleta. V tem tednu smo gostili predavanje dr. Janeza Potočnika, nekdanjega evropskega komisarja za okolje, ki je v luči podnebnih sprememb spregovoril o pomenu upravljanja z naravnimi viri. Na omizju, ki smo ga pripravili v sodelovanju z gibanjem Mladi za podnebno pravičnost, pa smo razpravljali o vlogi znanosti pri prilagajanju na podnebne spremembe. Naši gosti so bili: asist. dr. Da- nijel Crnčec, Fakulteta za družbene vede, izr.
prof. dr. Luka Juvančič, Biotehniška fakulte- ta, prof. dr. Tom Turk, Biotehniška fakulteta, Tilen Sever, Steklarna Hrastnik, ter doc. dr.
Blaž Likozar, Kemijski inštitut. Omizje je po- vezoval Primož Turnšek. Izhodišče razprave je bilo dejstvo, da podnebna kriza predstavlja človeštvu največjo eksistencialno grožnjo v sodobnem svetu. Je kompleksen problem, ki za uspešno reševanje zahteva interdiscipli- narni pristop, pri čemer bodo pri prehodu v brezogljično družbo ter prilagajanju na pod- nebne spremembe pomembno vlogo igrale tudi tehnološke inovacije. Takšna tranzicija bo zahtevala povečanje učinkovitosti obstoječih tehnologij, razvoj novih zelenih tehnologij in tehnologij za blaženje podnebnih sprememb.
Drugo omizje, na katerem smo razpravljali o položaju tujih znanstvenikov v slovenskem raziskovalnem okolju, smo pripravili v sode- lovanju s Francoskim inštitutom v Sloveniji. S tujimi raziskovalci, ki živijo in delajo v Sloveni- ji, ter vladnimi predstavniki, pristojnimi za trg dela, smo govorili o internacionalizaciji slo- venske znanosti. Naši gostje so bili: dr. Simona Kustec, ministrica za izobraževanje, znanost
in šport, dr. Jure Gašparič, državni sekretar, Ministrstvo za izobraževanje, znanost in šport, Mateja Ribič, državna sekretarka na Ministr- stvu za delo, družino, socialne zadeve in ena- ke možnosti, prof. dr. Danilo Zavrtanik, rek- tor Univerze v Novi Gorici, Florence Ferrari, veleposlanica Francoske republike, prof. dr.
Sergio Cabello, profesor, Fakulteta za mate- matiko in fiziko, dr. Clement Zankoc, razisko- valec, Institut 'Jožef Stefan', dr. Fabio Lapen- ta, raziskovalec, Kemijski inštitut. Omizje je povezoval direktor Kemijskega inštituta prof.
dr. Gregor Anderluh. Z gosti smo razpravljali o položaju tujih znanstvenikov v slovenskem raziskovalnem okolju in govorili o internacio- nalizaciji slovenske znanosti. Spraševali smo se, zakaj slovenski akademski sistem ni us- pešen pri privabljanju mladih obetavnih znan- stvenikov. Lani objavljeni podatki namreč ka- žejo, da je pri nas med doktorskimi študenti le dobrih osem odstotkov tujcev, v EU pa je teh povprečno četrtina.
Ob jutranji kavi nas je dr. Jure Zupan popeljal v svet umetne inteligence s predavanjem z naslo- vom: »Umetna inteligenca, tehnologija, o kateri nočemo veliko vedeti«. Po predavanju je sledil
Education, Science and Sport, Dr. Jure Gašparič, State Secretary, Ministry of Education, Science and Sport, Mateja Ribič, State Secretary, Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Oppor- tunities, Prof. Dr. Danilo Zavrtanik, Rector, Uni- versity of Nova Gorica, Florence Ferrari, French Ambassador to Slovenia, Prof. Dr. Sergio Cabel- lo, professor, Faculty of Mathematics and Phys- ics, Dr. Clement Zankoc, researcher, Jožef Stefan Institute, Dr. Fabio Lapenta, researcher, National Institute of Chemistry. The round table was mod- erated by the Director of the National Institute of Chemistry, Prof. Dr. Gregor Anderluh. We dis- cussed the position of foreign scientists in the Slovenian research environment and spoke about the internationalisation of Slovenian science. We deliberated on why the Slovenian academic sys- tem is not successful in attracting young prom- ising scientists. Data published last year shows that we have only a little over eight percent of doctoral students who are foreigners, while in the EU they represent on average a quarter.
Over morning coffee, Dr. Jure Zupan took us to the world of artificial intelligence with his lecture entitled “Artificial Intelligence, Tech- nology One Does Not Want to Know Much Florence Ferrari, veleposlanica Francoske republike je bila gostja omizja o tujih raziskovalcih pri nas
Florence Ferrari, French Ambassador to Slovenia was a guest at a round table research environment
razgovor o možnih bodočih smereh razvoja te- orije in prakse na področju umetne inteligence.
Gostili smo tudi predavanji obeh lanskole- tnih dobitnikov Preglove nagrade za izjemne raziskovalne dosežke, izr. prof. dr. Marjetke Podobnik, ki je imela predavanje z naslovom:
»Biološke molekule pri visoki povečavi« in prof.
dr. Mateja Praprotnika, naslov njegovega pre- davanje je bil: »Simulacija molekularnih siste- mov z odprtimi mejami«. V okviru Foruma40 pa se nam je s svojim predavanjem predstavil dr.
Matej Huš, na temo: »Od atomov do reaktorjev:
večnivojsko modeliranje v katalizi«.
Namesto Tedna odprtih vrat, smo najširšo javnost povabili na spletne oglede inštituta.
V okviru teh so dobili dober vpogled v naša raziskovalna področja, z raziskovalci so lahko tudi poklepetali. V ta namen smo pripravili vi- deo-predstavitve z naslovi:
• Kako z elektroni gledamo zamrznjene mo- lekule? (predstavitev Odseka za moleku- larno biologijo in nanobiotehnologijo, D11)
• Laserska ablacija in predmeti kulturne de- diščine (predstavitev Odseka za analizno kemijo, D04)
• Zakaj Slovenija potrebuje superračunalni- ke? (predstavitev Teoretičnega odseka, D01)
• Ali je C02 lahko tudi koristen? (predstavitev Odseka za katalizo in reakcijsko inženir- stvo, D13)
Ob zaključku petega Tedna Kemijskega in- štituta smo v Galeriji Kemijskega inštituta 5.
junija odprli razstavo kiparja Darka Golije z naslovom »Iskanje izgubljenega vzroka«. V svojih kiparskih delih je Darko Golija združil zanj značilne linearne, cevaste forme v dru- gačne miselne vzorce in jih združuje v ikono- grafijo, ki namiguje na kupe podobnih form, kakršne lahko srečamo v naših telesih in na- sploh v naravi.
• Z Botaničnim vrtom Univerze v Ljubljani smo zastavili edinstven projekt varovanja sloven- skih avtohtonih rastlinskih vrst na nadome- stnem rastišču. V mesecu juniju smo zasadili streho Preglovega raziskovalnega centra, ki jo tako krasi kar 42 rastlinskih vrst, tudi pet slo- venskih endemitov. Slovenski endemiti, ki smo jih zasadili na zeleno streho Preglovega razi-
About”. At the end, there was a discussion on possible future directions for the development of theory and practice in artificial intelligence.
We hosted two lectures of both last year’s recipi- ents of the Pregl Award for Outstanding Achieve- ments in Science, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Marjetka Po- dobnik, who held a lecture entitled “Zooming In On Biological Molecules”, and Prof. Dr. Matej Praprotnik, whose lecture was called “Simula- tion of Molecular Systems with Open Boundaries”.
Within the framework of Forum40, Dr. Matej Huš held a presentation entitled “From Atoms to Re- actors: Multiscale Modelling in Catalysis”.
Instead of the Open Days Week, we invited the general public to tour the Institute online. This gave them a good insight into our research fields as well as a chance to chat with our re- searchers. For this purpose, we prepared the following video presentations:
• How are Frozen Molecules Observed with Elec- trons? (presentation by the Department of Mo- lecular Biology and Nanobiotechnology, D11)
• Laser Ablation and Cultural Heritage Items (presentation by the Department for Analyt- ical Chemistry, D04)
• Why Slovenia Needs Supercomputers (pres- entation by the Theory Department, D01)
• Can CO2 be Useful? (presentation by the De- partment of Catalysis and Chemical Reac- tion Engineering, D13)
At the end of the fifth Week of the National In- stitute of Chemistry, on 5 June the Gallery of the Institute held the opening of the exhibition of sculptor Darko Golija entitled “Finding the Lost Cause”. In his sculptural work, Darko Go- lija combines his characteristic linear, tubular forms into different thought patterns and com- bines them into an iconography that hints at heaps of similar forms that can be found in our bodies and in nature in general.
• In collaboration with University Botanic Gar- dens Ljubljana, we set up a unique project for the protection of Slovenian autochthonous plant species on an alternative site. In June, we plant- ed the Pregl Research Centre’s roof, which is now adorned by as many as 42 plant species, including five species unique to Slovenia. The five unique species planted on the green roof
Vodja Botaničnega vrta dr. Jože Bavcon med urejanjem zasaditve Head of the Botanic Gardens, Dr. Jože Bavcon, during planting
skovalnega centra so Hladnikia pastinacifolia, Pastinaca sativa var. fleischmanni, Allysum mon- tanum subsp. pluscanescens, Iris sibirica subsp.
errirhiza in Medicago pironae. Te rastline rastejo samo na ozemlju Slovenije. Z zasaditvijo strehe je ustvarjena nova zelena površina izven bota- ničnega vrta za ex-situ varovanje ogroženih ra- stlinskih vrst, ki bo tako pomembno prispevala k varovanju naših rastlinskih biserov. Kot mo- delni primer, kako lahko urbane površine pos- tanejo površine za ex-situ varovanje, bo lahko zgled podobnim projektom širom po svetu.
AVGUST
• Kemijski inštitut je 6. avgusta sklenil sporazum o znanstvenem članstvu z Inštitutom Maxa von Laueja – Paula Langevina (ILL), vodilnim med- narodnim raziskovalnim centrom za nevtron- sko sipanje. S tem je Kemijski inštitut postal slovenski partner in polnopravni znanstveni član v ILL za obdobje štirih let z možnostjo po- daljšanja. Za Kemijski inštitut to pomeni tako prevzem znanstvenih in administrativnih obve- znosti, ki jih prinaša članstvo, kot tudi koordi- nacijo slovenske znanstvene skupnosti na po- dročju raziskav z nevtroni. Gre za vseslovensko iniciativo, saj bo sodelovanje z ILL enakovredno odprto tudi za vse druge potencialne sloven-
include Hladnikia pastinacifolia, Pastinaca sati- va var. fleischmanni, Allysum montanum subsp.
pluscanescens, Iris sibirica subsp. errirhiza and Medicago pironae. These plants are found only on the territory of Slovenia. By planting the roof, a new green surface has been created outside the Botanic Gardens for the ex-situ protection of endangered plant species that will significantly contribute to the preservation of our precious plants. As an example of how urban areas can be turned into ex-situ protection areas, it can serve as a model for similar projects around the world.
AUGUST
• On 6 August, the National Institute of Chemistry signed an agreement on scientific membership with the Max von Laue-Paul Langevin Institute (ILL), a leading international neutron scattering research centre. With this, the National Institute of Chemistry became a Slovenian partner and a full scientific member of the ILL for a period of four years with the possibility of extension. For the Institute, this means taking on the scientific and administrative obligations of membership as well as the coordination of the Slovenian scientific community in the field of neutron research. This is an all-Slovenian initiative, as cooperation with the ILL will be equally open to all other potential
Odprtje razstave "Multituda"
Opening of the exhibition “Multituda”
Na fotografiji z leve: dr. Alen Vižintin, (mentor Michela Adamiča), predsednik Znanstvenega sveta Kemijskega inšti- tuta prof. dr. Roman Jerala, dobitnika Preglove nagrade za izjemne dosežke izr. prof. dr. Urban Bren in prof. dr. Iztok Arčon, ministrica prof. dr. Simona Kustec, Tajda Klobučar ter direktor Kemijskega inštituta prof. dr. Gregor Anderluh Pictured from left to right: Dr. Alen Vižintin (mentor of Michel Adamič), President of the Scientific Council of the National Institute of Chemistry Prof. Dr. Roman Jerala, the two recipients of the Pregl Award for Outstanding Achie- vements Assoc. Prof. Dr. Urban Bren and Prof. Dr. Iztok Arčon, Minister Prof. Dr. Simona Kustec, Tajda Klobučar and Director of the National Institute of Chemistry Prof. Dr. Gregor Anderluh
ske uporabnike. Nevtronsko sipanje omogoča vpogled v strukturne, dinamične in magnetne lastnosti snovi v obsegu, ki ga z drugimi meto- dami ni mogoče zajeti. Raziskave z nevtronskim sipanjem zato segajo na najrazličnejša področ- ja in pomagajo pri razvoju mnogih naprednih rešitev za soočanje z izzivi sodobne družbe. Po- membno vlogo igrajo predvsem pri raziskavah materialov ter na področju ved o življenju.
SEPTEMBER
• Na osrednji slovesnosti, ki je bila zaradi boljše epi- demiološke slike izvedena 3. septembra v Botanič- nem vrtu Univerze v Ljubljani, sta bili podeljeni dve Preglovi nagradi Kemijskega inštituta za izjemne raziskovalne dosežke in dve doktorski štipendiji Janka Jamnika. Osrednja gostja slovesnosti je bila ministrica za izobraževanje, znanost in šport prof.
dr. Simona Kustec. Prejemnika prestižne Preglove nagrade sta bila prof. dr. Iztok Arčon in izr. prof.
dr. Urban Bren. Jamnikovo štipendijo sta tokrat prejela Tajda Klobučar in Michel Adamič.
• Na Kemijskem inštitutu smo 18. septembra gos- tili posvet na temo učinkovitosti zelene prehran- ske verige z naslovom ”Pomen in Učinkovitost zelene prehranske verige”, ki smo ga pripravili v sodelovanju s Slovenskim združenjem za ka- kovost in odličnost ter Gospodarsko zbornico Slovenije. Spraševali smo se predvsem, kako učinkovita je lahko trajnostna preskrba s hrano in kako uspešno jo uvajamo. Učinkovita, varna in trajnostna preskrba s hrano je namreč eden od ciljev Evropskega zelenega dogovora. Zele- na prehranska veriga sloni na kratkih preskr- bovalnih verigah, preprečuje izgube hrane in zmanjšuje količino odpadne hrane. Uporablja embalažo, ki je v največji možni meri del krožne- ga gospodarstva in je okolju prijazna. Odvečna hrana gre v dobrodelne namene in ne v odpad.
• V okviru Evropske noči raziskovalcev, smo v pe- tek, 27. novembra, ko je širom Slovenije potekal festival “Noč ima svojo moč 2020”, vrsto dogod- kov in aktivnosti pripravili tudi na Kemijskem inštitutu. Zaradi koronarazmer je celotno osre- dnje dogajanje potekalo na daljavo, a to zato ni bilo nič manj zanimivo.
Navdušena mlada raziskovalca Svit in David sta zabavne kemijske reakcije prikazala na
Slovenian users. Neutron scattering provides in- sight into the structural, dynamic and magnetic properties of matter to an extent that cannot be captured by other methods. Neutron scattering research therefore extends to a wide variety of fields and helps to develop many advanced solu- tions to meet the challenges of modern society.
They play an important role mainly in materials research and in the field of life sciences.
SEPTEMBER
• At the main ceremony organised on 3 September at the University Botanic Gardens Ljubljana due to the improved epidemiological picture, two Pregl Awards for Outstanding Achievements in Science of the National Institute of Chemistry were award- ed along with two Janko Jamnik Doctoral Schol- arships. The main guest of the ceremony was the Minister of Education, Science and Sport, Prof. Dr.
Simona Kustec. The prestigious Pregl Awards were given to Prof. Dr. Iztok Arčon and Assoc. Prof. Dr.
Urban Bren. The recipients of the Jamnik Scholar- ships were Tajda Klobučar and Michel Adamič.
• On 18 September, the National Institute of Chem- istry hosted a conference on the efficiency of the green food chain entitled “Pomen in Učinkovitost zelene prehranske verige” (Importance and Effi- ciency of the Green Food Chain), which was pre- pared in cooperation with the Slovenian Associa- tion for Quality and Excellence and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia. The two main topics of discussion were how efficient a sustaina- ble food chain can be and how successfully we are introducing it. An efficient, secure and sustainable food supply is one of the objectives of the Europe- an Green Deal. A green food chain relies on short supply chains, prevents lost food and reduces the amount of food waste. It uses packaging that is as much a part of the circular economy as possible and is environmentally friendly. Excess food goes to charity and not to waste.
• The National Institute of Chemistry prepared a number of events and activities on Friday, 27 No- vember, as the “Night has its Might 2020” festival was taking place across Slovenia within the Euro- pean Researchers’ Night. Due to the coronavirus situation, all the main events were held remotely, but that did not make them any less interesting.
daljavo, vsi zainteresirani so si jih lahko ogledali preko spleta. Pripravili smo spletne oglede naših laborato- rijev. Raziskovalke in raziskovalci so v kratkem videoposnetku predstavili posamezna raziskovalna področja, nato je bilo možno z njimi tudi pokle-
petali. Pod naslovom “Neznanstveno o znan- stvenem” smo na karseda poljuden način, z zanimivimi predavanji skušali čimširši javnosti približati nekaj sicer resnih znanstvenih tem.
Gostili smo tudi dva pogovora v okviru Evrop- ske komisije. Dogodek je bil odlično obiskan in namen je bil zagotovo dosežen.
• V galeriji Kemijskega inštituta smo 30. sep- tembra odprli razstavo “Multituda”, umetnice in filozofinje Polone Tratnik, ki se v svojih pro- jektih in delih posveča zelo različnim temam. A vsekakor skozi svoje projekte najbolj izpostavlja konceptualna izhodišča, v katerih se ukvarja z razmerji med človeškim telesom, novimi biolo- škimi tehnologijami, znanostjo in filozofijo.
OKTOBER
• V sodelovanju s Pisarno Evropskega parla- menta v Sloveniji smo 9. oktobra organizirali odmevno omizje z naslovom: »Kdo bo razvil zdravila in cepivo, če ne znanstveniki?«. Glavna sporočila omizja so bila, da vlaganja v vrhun- sko znanost dolgoročno prinašajo številne koristi za celotno družbo. Zato je nujen kon- senz na nacionalni ravni za zagotovitev ustre- zne javne finančne podpore znanosti, ki bo Sloveniji v prihodnjem desetletju omogočila tehnološki preboj. Okrogla miza je bila razde- ljena v dva sklopa; v prvem z naslovom Zakaj rezi v znanost, ko jo najbolj potrebujemo, so sodelovali evropska poslanca Franc Bogovič (EPP) in dr. Klemen Grošelj (Renew), držav- na sekretarka na Ministrstvu za zdravje dr.
Tina Bregant, direktor Kemijskega inštituta prof. dr. Gregor Anderluh in direktor Insti- tuta Jožef Stefan prof. dr. Jadran Lenarčič. V drugem delu na temo Odlična znanost in kli- nična medicina za napredne metode zdravlje- nja sta poleg poslancev Bogoviča in dr. Groš- lja ter državne sekretarke dr. Bregantove sodelovala še prof. dr. Roman Jerala, vodja Odseka za sintezno biologijo in imunologijo
The enthusiastic young researchers, Svit and David, remotely demonstrated fun chemical reactions and everyone interested could watch them online. Online tours of our laboratories were available. Our research- ers introduced the individual research fields in short videos and were available for a chat afterwards. Under the title “Neznanstveno o znanstvenem” (Unscientifically About the Scientif- ic), we tried to present otherwise serious scientific topics to the widest public in a non-technical way and through exciting lectures. We also hosted two discussions within the framework of the European Commission. The event had a high turnout and its purpose was definitely achieved.
• The Gallery of the National Institute of Chemis- try opened Polona Tratnik’s exhibition entitled
“Multituda” on 30 September. She is an artist and philosopher who focuses on very different topics in her projects and works. Through her projects, she certainly highlights the conceptual starting points in which she deals with the relationship OCTOBER
• In collaboration with the European Parliament Li- aison Office in Slovenia, we organised a high-pro- file round table entitled “Who, if not the scientists, will develop medicines and vaccines?” on 9 October.
The central messages from the round table were that investments in top science bring numerous benefits to society as a whole in the long run.
Therefore, a national consensus is required to en- sure adequate public finance support for science, which will enable a technological breakthrough for Slovenia in the next decade. The round table was divided into two sets; the participants of the first, entitled “Why cuts in science, when we need it most?”, were MEPs Franc Bogovič (EPP) and Dr.
Klemen Grošelj (Renew), the State Secretary at the Ministry of Health, Dr. Tina Bregant, the Di- rector of the National Institute of Chemistry, Prof.
Dr. Gregor Anderluh, and the Director of the Jožef Stefan Institute, Prof. Dr. Jadran Lenarčič. Partic- ipants of the second part, on the topic of “Excellent science and clinical medicine for advanced treat- ment methods”, in addition to MEPs Bogovič and Dr. Grošelj and State Secretary Dr. Bregant, were Prof. Dr. Roman Jerala, Head of the Department of Synthetic Biology and Immunology at the Na-
na Kemijskem inštitutu ter predstojnik Kli- ničnega oddelka za hematologijo na UKC Lju- bljana prof. dr. Samo Zver.
• 21. oktobra smo organizirali omizje ob izidu knjige z naslovom »Kako inovacije spreminjajo svet in zakaj uspevajo v svobodni družb«i. Te misli so bile tudi rdeča nit razprave, ki smo jo na Kemijskem inštitutu pripravili v sodelova- nju s Slovenskim gospodarskim in raziskoval- nim združenjem v Bruslju (SBRA) ter Založbo UMco. Dogodek je bil razdeljena v dva sklopa.
V prvem je zbrane nagovoril Nicolas Sabati- er, svetovalec na Generalnem direktoratu za raziskave in inovacije pri Evropski komisiji.
Spregovoril je o strategiji, ki jo je Evropska komisija začrtala za oživljanje gospodarstva, tudi s spodbujanjem raziskovalnih in inova- cijskih programov. Pogovor z njim je vodil izr.
prof. dr. Draško Veselinovič, SBRA. V drugem delu dogodka je sledila okrogla miza na temo inovacijskega okolja v Sloveniji, na kateri so sodelovali prof. dr. Igor Papič, rektor Univerze v Ljubljani, prof. dr. Uroš Ahčan, Oddelek za plastično kirurgijo in opekline, UKC LJ, prof.
dr. Gregor Anderluh, direktor Kemijskega in- štituta, dr. Tomaž Rodič, direktor centra Veso- lje –SI ter Jernej Salecl, Ministrstvo za gospo- darski razvoj in tehnologijo. Razpravo z gosti je vodila Ina Petric, Tromba.
tional Institute of Chemistry, and Prof. Dr. Samo Zver, Head of the Clinical Department of Haema- tology at the University Medical Centre Ljubljana.
• On 21 October, we held a round table to mark the release of the book entitled “Kako inovacije sprem- injajo svet in zakaj uspevajo v svobodni družbi” (How innovation works and why it flourishes in freedom).
These ideas were also the common thread of the discussion organised by the National Institute of Chemistry in collaboration with the Brussels-based Slovenian Business & Research Association (SBRA) and the UMco publishing house. The event was di- vided into two sets. In the first set, the attendees were addressed by Nicolas Sabatier, Adviser at the Directorate-General for Research and Innovation at the European Commission. He spoke about the European Commission’s strategy for economic re- covery through, among other things, the promotion of research and innovation programmes. The con- versation was moderated by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Draško Veselinovič, SBRA. The second part of the event featured a round table on the innovation environ- ment in Slovenia with Prof. Dr. Igor Papič, Rector of the University of Ljubljana, Prof. Dr. Uroš Ahčan, Department of Plastic Surgery and Burns, UMCL, Prof. Dr. Gregor Anderluh, Director of the National Institute of Chemistry, Dr. Tomaž Rodič, Director of SPACE-SI, and Jernej Salecl, Ministry of Economic Development and Technology. The discussion with the guests was led by Ina Petric, Tromba.
NOVEMBER
• Ob koncu leta k razstavi umetniških del po- vabimo sodelavce Kemijskega inštituta. Tok- rat sta svoje fotografije razstavila na ogled raziskovalca dr. Damjan Makuc in dr. Andrej Perdih. Odprtje razstave smo v ozkem krogu obeležili 13. novembra.
DECEMBER
• Na zaključnem spletnem dogodku, ki je bil 14. decembra 2020 smo podelili Preglove na- grade za izjemno doktorsko delo na področju kemije in sorodnih ved ter počastili doktoran- dke in doktorande, ki so letos zagovarjali svo- ja doktorska dela. Dobitniki prestižne Preglo- ve nagrade za izjemno doktorsko delo v letu 2020 so bili dr. Sara Drvarič Talian, dr. Matija Gatalo in dr. Tina Škorjanc. Častna govornica na spletni slovesnosti je bila ministrica za iz- obraževanje, znanost in šport prof. dr. Simo- na Kustec.
• Ob razsežnostih pandemije, povzročene z vi- rusom SARS-CoV2, (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrom Coronavirus 2), smo na Kemijskem inštitutu 10. decembra pripravili razpravo z naslovom 'SARS-CoV-2, med bremenom in cepivom', ki je v ospredje postavila pojasnje- vanje in seznanjanje z obolenji, ki jih omenje- ni virus povzroči. V razpravi smo se posvetili predvsem nevarnosti koronavirusnih obolenj, spregovorili smo o pomenu imunosti in težko pričakovanega cepiva, pojasnili pomen slede- nja obolevnosti prebivalstva, ter se dotaknili vplivov pandemije in spremenjenih življenjskih razmer na družbo. O omenjenih vprašanjih so razpravljali zdravniki prof. dr. Marko Noč, prof. dr. Alojz Ihan, prof. dr. Samo Zver, mag.
Matjaž Turel, dr. med, sintezni biolog prof. dr.
Roman Jerala, profesor statistike dr. Aleks Jakulin in antropolog dr. Dan Podjed. Razpra- vo je povezovala Ina Petric, Tromba. Pogovor je spremljalo 370 virtualnih obiskovalcev, na kar smo izjemno ponosni. Na ta način nam je uspelo združiti strokovnjake in publiko, ki jo zanima odprta debata o razsežnostih pande- mije, povzročene z virusom SARS-CoV2.
NOVEMBER
• At the end of the year, we invited the National Institute of Chemistry’s colleagues to exhib- it their works of art. This time, the photos for the exhibition were provided by researchers Dr. Damjan Makuc and Dr. Andrej Perdih. The opening of the exhibition was accompanied by a small celebration on 13 November.
DECEMBER
• At the closing online event that took place on 14 December 2020, we presented the Pregl Awards for Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation in the field of chemistry and related sciences and paid tribute to the doctoral candidates who defended their doctoral dissertations this year.
The recipients of the prestigious Pregl Award for Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation in 2020 were Dr. Sara Drvarič Talian, Dr. Matija Gatalo and Dr. Tina Škorjanc. The keynote speaker of the online ceremony was the Minister of Education, Science and Sport, Prof. Dr. Simona Kustec.
• In the light of the magnitude of the pandemic caused by SARS-CoV2 (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2), on 10 December the National Institute of Chemistry hosted a discus- sion with the title “SARS-CoV-2, med bremenom in cepivom” (SARS-CoV2, Between the Burden and the Vaccine), which focused on explaining and providing information about the conditions caused by this virus. The discussion revolved pri- marily around the dangers of conditions caused by coronaviruses, but we also spoke about the sig- nificance of immunity and the much-anticipated vaccine, explained the importance of tracking pop- ulation prevalence and touched upon the impacts of the pandemic and the changed living conditions on society. These issues were discussed by doc- tors Prof. Dr. Marko Noč, Prof. Dr. Alojz Ihan, Prof.
Dr. Samo Zver, Mag. Matjaž Turel, Dr. Med, syn- thetic biologist Prof. Dr. Roman Jerala, statistics professor Dr. Aleks Jakulin and anthropologist Dr.
Dan Podjed. The discussion was moderated by Ina Petric, Tromba. We are extremely proud of the fact that the conversation was followed by as many as 370 virtual guests. This means that we managed to bring together experts and the public who are interested in an open debate about the magnitude of the pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV2 virus.
"Upokojeni" inštitutski Twingo v muzej
Na prvi pogled povsem običajen Renault Twingo, ki je bil zaradi številnih nalepk, ki ga krasijo, še kako opazen, je bil v zadnjem desetletju pravi za- ščitni znak inštitutskega parkirišča. A od sredine lanskega oktobra ga tam ni več. Ker je bil dotra- jan, njegovo redno vzdrževanje pa kar precejšen zalogaj, smo mu morali poiskati novo domova- nje. Streho nad glavo so mu prijazno ponudili v Tehniškem muzeju v Bistri. Tam so nad novim muzejskim eksponatom, ki je dobra promocija slovenskega znanja in brezogljičnih tehnologij, več kot navdušeni.
Twingo ni bil navaden avtomobil. Bil je eden prvih električnih avtomobilov, ki je bil skoraj v celoti izdelan s slovenskimi sestavnimi deli in predvsem s slovenskim znanjem. Prav zato mu lahko rečemo kar pionirski, pa tudi učni elek- trični avtomobil. Je rezultat projekta Električna mobilnost za Slovenijo, ki se ga je leta 2011 lo- tila ekipa zagnanih študentov ljubljanske Fakul- tete za strojništvo, Fakultete za elektrotehniko ter Fakultete za kemijo in kemijsko tehnologijo.
Zavihali so rokave in pod mentorstvom sodelav- cev Univerze v Ljubljani, Centra odličnosti niz- koogljične tehnologije in Kemijskega inštituta iz nekoč običajnega bencinskega Twinga izdelali mestni električni avtomobil. Pogonski sklop je doniralo podjetje Letrika iz Šempetra pri Gorici, Petrol pa je študentski ekipi omogočil delo v svoji garažni delavnici. Leta 2013 je ekipa prejela tudi priznanje za prispevek k projektu Električna mo- bilnost za Slovenijo.
"Retired" Twingo to museum
The Renault Twingo, which appears completely normal at first glance but for the many stickers adorning it and making it highly noticeable, has been a real trademark of the Institute’s car park for the last decade. However, it is no longer there as of mid-October of last year. Since it was worn out and its regular maintenance was quite a han- dful, we had to find a new home for it. The Tech- nical Museum in Bistra kindly gave it a roof over its head. The people there are more than thrilled about their new museum exhibit, which is a great promotion of Slovenian knowledge and zero-car- bon technologies.
Twingo was not an ordinary car. It was one of the first electric cars almost entirely made of Slovenian components and, above all else, with Slovenian knowledge. That is why it can be re- ferred to as a pioneer as well as a “learning”
electric car. It is the result of the E-Mobility for Slovenia Project, which was undertaken in 2011 by a team of enthusiastic students from the Fa- culty of Mechanical Engineering in Ljubljana, the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and the Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology. They rol- led up their sleeves and, under the mentorship of colleagues from the University of Ljubljana, the Centre of Excellence for Low-Carbon Technolo- gies and the Institute of Chemistry, assembled a city electric car from the once ordinary petrol Twingo. The powertrain was donated by the com- pany Letrika from Šempeter pri Gorici, while the company Petrol enabled the student team to work in its car service workshop. In 2013, the team was awarded recognition for its contributi- on to the E-Mobility for Slovenia Project.
