HZB magazine lichtblick - the new issue is out!

In his search for the perfect catalyst, HZB researcher Robert Seidel is now getting a tailwind – thanks to a ERC Consolidator Grant. In the cover story, we explain why the X-ray source BESSY II plays an important role for his research.

Bernd Rech has just started his second term of office. What are his plans? In this interview, he reveals the role that basic research plays, but also why a good working atmosphere is important to him. Read more on page 8.

Click here for the online issue

Topics include:

  • p. 4 Robert Seidel - In search of the perfect catalyst
  • p. 3: Three questions for Thomas Frederking
  • p. 8: Interview with Bernd Rech on his second term of office
  • p. 12: Opening of HiPOLE in Jena
  • p. 16: Science meets art - two projects presented
  • p. 20: One year after the cyber attack - what have we learnt?
  • p. 26: Research on the neutron instruments continues
  • p. 28: New dual leadership for BESSY II
  • p. 30: Recipe from all over the world

We hope you enjoy reading this issue! As always, we welcome your feedback and suggestions for topics.

Your editorial team

sz

  • Copy link

You might also be interested in

  • From Curiosity to Contribution
    Blog
    24.07.2026
    From Curiosity to Contribution
    Every morning begins the same way. I put on my lab coat, prepare my electrochemical setup, and wait for the first measurement of the day to appear on my screen. Even though I have repeated the procedure many times over the past weeks, I still find myself wondering: Will today's experiment behave differently from yesterday's?

    That question has quietly become my favourite part of my internship at Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin.

  • Five Berlin-based research institutions join forces in data-driven materials research
    News
    22.07.2026
    Five Berlin-based research institutions join forces in data-driven materials research
    Research data is regarded as key to materials research in the age of artificial intelligence (AI). Five Berlin-based research institutions have now signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish long-term collaboration in the fields of research data, data infrastructures and AI.
  • Accelerating through accelerator physics
    Blog
    21.07.2026
    Accelerating through accelerator physics
    When I applied to the International Summer Student Programme at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin, I never thought that I would be diving into a whole new, and to me previously unknown, area of physics. Though I have had courses on related topics like mechanics and electromagnetism, accelerator physics also includes special relativity, optics and a whole lot of maths. All these areas of physics are combined in order to calculate, as precisely as possible, the movements of the particles inside the accelerator.