New appointment: Prof. Jan Mollitor has been Professor of Organic Chemistry and Organic Spectroscopy at the HSZG since December 2020. In this interview, he describes what appeals to him about his field.
He focuses on organic chemistry, respectful cooperation and already knows the region of his new place of work from before. Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Jan Mollitor has been Professor of Organic Chemistry and Organic Spectroscopy at the HSZG since December 2020.
After studying chemistry in Leipzig, the Saxon native, who was born in Hoyerswerda in 1979, worked as a laboratory manager at ABX GmbH in Radeberg between 2010 and 2020. He is now taking on new tasks at Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences.
Public Relations met Prof. Jan Mollitor for an interview.
Prof. Mollitor, you have been Professor of Organic Chemistry and Organic Spectroscopy at Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences since December 2020. How did you find your first time here?
Unfortunately, I haven't been able to get to know everyone in the faculty personally yet. It's unusually quiet and deserted for a university at the moment. I already miss the typical campus life that I remember from my studies in Leipzig.
Personal conversations with colleagues and especially with students have had to be reduced to a minimum during the current lockdown. Have you still been able to make your first personal contacts?
The colleagues and students I have been able to meet in person have been very welcoming and helpful. But unfortunately I haven't been able to meet up in person yet. Of course, a web conference can only replace this to a limited extent.
What impressions have you gained of Zittau and the region so far?
The region is not completely unknown to me. Even as a child, I was here on vacation with my parents or alone in one of the children's holiday camps back then. It is a scenic, natural region that is perhaps somewhat underestimated and therefore fortunately not so overrun with tourists. I was pleasantly surprised by the town and the center in particular. Many houses and facades have been renovated and create a friendly cityscape. You can tell that the city is changing. The HSZG is certainly making a significant contribution to this.
Your area of appointment is organic chemistry and organic spectroscopy. Can you briefly describe the focus of your teaching and research?
I want to give students a basic understanding of organic chemistry and show them how OC is used in many areas of everyday life. To do this, it is important to understand what they have learned and to apply it practically in the laboratory. The great thing about science is that you can derive and explain a multitude of other phenomena and observations based on a few laws and rules. Furthermore, after more than 10 years of professional experience, I know what knowledge and skills are required of a graduate in the chemical industry, so that I can align my teaching accordingly.
In research, I intend to utilize the potential of my synthesis and analytics laboratory in collaboration with regional industrial partners. For example, we are able to produce customized organic structures and elucidate their structure in detail.
Due to the pandemic, the focus is currently on digital teaching at the HSZG. What challenges has this presented you with when designing your curriculum?
Although the content of the lectures and seminars will not change, it is of course a shame that I can only offer my courses virtually. Unfortunately, this type of teaching cannot replace direct contact between people. It's even more difficult with the laboratory practicals, which, as you know, are a focus of the Applied Natural Sciences degree program. We can only hope that the laboratories can be used again from the summer semester onwards.
Are there any parts of the curriculum that have to take place in person (experiments, practicals, etc.) and if so, how are they currently being implemented?
Yes, I would like to conduct the oral examinations on site in compliance with the current hygiene concept. I think this is also in the interests of the students, especially as I neither know the candidates from previous semesters nor have I ever met them in person.
Before your appointment at the HSZG, you worked for ten years in Radeberg at ABX advanced biochemical compounds GmbH, a supplier of PET precursors and FDG reagent kits. Can you briefly outline your area of responsibility there? How did this time prepare you for your current teaching role?
At ABX GmbH, I worked as the laboratory manager of a synthesis laboratory in the medicinal chemistry department. I was mainly responsible for the synthesis development of novel organic molecules for later use in nuclear medicine. I worked on an interdisciplinary basis with radiochemists and nuclear medicine specialists, for example. In addition to the work in the laboratory, where I was supported by 2-3 laboratory assistants, my daily tasks included skillful project management and regular exchanges with our customers. A particular challenge was to establish complex syntheses according to GMP guidelines as required by the pharmaceutical environment.
During this time, I regularly had pupils or students in my laboratory and supervised them as part of their internships. I can now bring this experience of working with young people to the HSZG.
When you think back, what was the decisive moment that sparked your passion for organic chemistry?
To be honest, it didn't spark right away and the first lectures didn't grab me straight away. It wasn't until I was finally able to put the theory into practice in the lab and carry out my first syntheses that my passion was awakened. From that point on, I knew that I wanted to work intensively with organic chemistry in the future.
You completed your degree in chemistry at the University of Leipzig in 2008. What was your doctoral thesis about and is the subject still of interest to you today?
Research in organic chemistry is roughly divided into two areas: 1. the development of new synthesis methods, you could also call them "molecular tools" and 2. the application of these "tools" to synthesize molecules. As part of my dissertation, I dealt with the application, or more precisely the total synthesis of a complex marine natural substance. I was able to apply a number of synthesis methods in practice. Today, other topics seem more interesting to me, as the natural substance has not established itself as a therapeutic agent and has now been successfully synthesized by several working groups.
Whether research and teaching, personal environment or private interests, is there a person who has particularly influenced you in the past with regard to your field of work or as a private person?
I'm thinking of my grandfather, who played an important role for us children from a young age with his warm-hearted nature. He motivated me to learn and supported me in my studies. He always showed great interest in my scientific work and gave us valuable advice.
In addition to specialist knowledge and methods, what else would you like to pass on to your students as a teacher and person?
In addition to the specialist content, I would also like to show young people how to treat each other with respect and tolerance. It is so important for later life to make progress together with your fellow human beings; this is much more enjoyable than crossing the finish line first.
When you're not busy in the lab or lecture hall, where else can you be found under normal circumstances?
My free time is currently quite limited, which is not only due to the coronavirus pandemic. Otherwise, I would be on my bike or out in nature with my family.
The interview was conducted by Cornelia Rothe M.A.
