SHENG 4 grant for the Faculty of Chemistry
We are proud to announce that the project Spektroskopowe markery prebiotyczne i fotochemiczna ewolucja w astromikrośrodowiskach gaz–lód has received funding of PLN 2,430,240 in the NCN SHENG 4 competition. On the Polish side, the project is led by prof. dr Małgorzata Biczysko, and carried out by the Molecular Spectroscopy and Photochemistry Group, consisting of dr Justyna Krupa, dr Magdalena Pagacz-Kostrzewa, dr hab. Magdalena Sałdyka and dr Karolina Mucha. The Chinese partners are researchers from Chongqing University, headed by prof. Qian Gou.
The aim of the project is to understand whether simple organic molecules, particularly those related to glycine, the simplest amino acid could have formed and evolved under conditions resembling interstellar environments. The researchers are analysing the behaviour of these compounds both in the gas phase and within icy matrices that mimic the surfaces of cosmic dust grains in dense molecular clouds.
A key element of the project is to investigate how different ranges of radiation from near-infrared to ultraviolet affect the stability, fragmentation, and possible photochemical reactions leading to the formation of more complex structures. The Wrocław team will employ the matrix-isolation technique, which makes it possible to monitor reactions at extremely low temperatures and to record short-lived photochemical products that are difficult to capture by other methods. Researchers in Chongqing will conduct complementary FTMW microwave spectroscopy measurements, enabling precise determination of the structure of individual molecules and their aggregates in the gas phase.
The entire study will be supported by advanced quantum-chemical calculations, essential for interpreting spectra and identifying the resulting reaction products.
The project represents an important step in strengthening scientific cooperation between Poland and China, bringing together the expertise of both teams in the field of astrochemistry.
Congratulations to the team and we wish them every success in their future discoveries!
Date of publication: 1.12.2025
Added by: E.K.
