Susan Schorr named DGK Chair
Susan Schorr is Head of the Department of Crystallography.
Prof. Dr. Susan Schorr was elected Chair at the German Crystallographic Society’s (DGK) recent annual conference. The conference took place from March 16-19, 2015, in Göttingen, Germany. Prior to her current appointment, Susan Schorr was head of the DGK’s National Committee.
Susan Schorr is the current head of the Department of Crystallography at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin and is also a professor at the Freie Universität Berlin. The focus of Schorr’s work is on an examination of the underlying structure-property relationships of materials used in energy conversion, for example, in new types of materials for solar cells. In her work, Schorr is drawing on methods for neutron diffraction, synchrotron radiation, and conventional X-rays. In addition, Prof. Schorr is actively engaged in the promotion of junior scientists, as through her work on the faculty of the MatSEC Graduate School and as part of the school’s focus on research management.
DGK, the German Crystallographic Society, is a nonprofit organization whose mission it is to promote crystallography in the educational, research, and industrial settings, as well as in the public sphere. The Society currently has over 1,000 individual members.
www.dgk-home.de
arö
https://www.helmholtz-berlin.de/pubbin/news_seite?nid=14170;sprache=en
- Copy link
-
Cool vaccines in rural Kenya: solar solution has been awarded by UN
In May 2026, Tabitha Awuor Amollo is spending some weeks as a guest scientist at HZB, analysing perovskite thin films at BESSY II. The Kenyan physicist from Egerton University, Nairobi, was recently recognised for her achievements in research and teaching. For the development of a solar-powered refrigeration system for use in rural health centres, she has been awarded the 2026 Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World (OWSD)-Elsevier Foundation Award. An interview on exceptional projects and daily struggles of a scientist. Questions were asked by Antonia Rötger.
-
BESSY II: How intrinsic oxygen shortens the lifespan of solid-state batteries
Although solid-state batteries (SSBs) demonstrate high performance and are intrinsically safe, their capacity currently declines rapidly. A team from the TU Wien, Humboldt-University Berlin and HZB has now analysed a TiS₂|Li₃YCl₆ solid-state half-cell in operando at BESSY II using a special sample environment that allows for non-destructive investigation under real operating conditions. Data obtained by combination of soft and hard X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS and HAXPES) revealed a new degradation mechanism that had not previously been identified in solid-state batteries. They have gained some surprising insights, particularly regarding the harmful role played by intrinsic oxygen. This study provides valuable information for improving design and handling of such batteries.
-
Too old for research at 60? From nuclear physics to papyrus research
A career in science can be personally fulfilling. However, this also means accepting the unpredictable: research topics may no longer receive funding, and laboratories may close. Heinz-Eberhard Mahnke experienced this first-hand when he had to seek new challenges in his early 60s. Today, the 81-year-old is still active in research, using non-destructive measurement methods to examine ancient artefacts of inestimable cultural value. Antonia Rötger spoke with this extraordinary researcher, whose curiosity and drive are truly inspiring.