Introduction to the themed issue dedicated to Kurt Schaffner

It constitutes a real pleasure dedicating this issue of the journal Photochemical & Photobiological Sciences to our friend and mentor Kurt Schaffner. The number of dedicated papers and the variety of photochemical and photobiological areas touched in them already speaks for Kurt's inspirational force. The perspective written by Wolfgang Gärtner (DOI: 10.1039/C2PP05405A) tells us about the development of the research on phytochrome in Mülheim since Kurt's arrival at the Institute in 1976. It was a risky and ambitious adventure daring into a difficult and (for him and co-workers) unknown field. Kurt managed to build an important team of colleagues working on various spectroscopic and, later, biochemical techniques and interesting results were obtained in the area of phytochrome(s). J. Matysik, W. Gärtner, J. Huges and collaborators dedicated a very recent paper (Biochemistry, 2011, 50, 10987) to Kurt Schaffner on NMR studies on phytochrome.

On other subjects, such as the mechanisms of energy conversion in antenna units, also very important results were obtained over a large number of years (see the paper by Jesorka et al., DOI: 10.1039/C2PP25016K) in Holzwarth's group within Schaffner's Department. There are many other subjects treated in this issue, several written by colleagues or by former students or post-doctoral fellows who have later developed in their own subjects. Kurt was characterized by extremely disciplined and hard-working habits, as well as by a very sharp mind. He also knew the value of offering intellectual freedom to his immediate collaborators. This resulted in a large variety of topics being addressed, always in the field that we would call today chemical and molecular photobiology, which ultimately led his coworkers to solve interesting questions and select subjects for their own research. The list of papers dedicated to him by former collaborators and scientific guests in Mülheim (Arai, Aramendía, Balaban, Bilmes, Borsarelli, Braslavsky, Gärtner, García, Görner, Holzwarth, Jesorka, Kruk, López Figueroa, Losi, Mártire, Nonell, Roveri, Tamiaki, Weiss, Williams) underscores this effect.

The role of Kurt in the photochemical community and in the founding of the European Society of Photobiology (ESP) has been also underlined in the perspective written by Gärtner. We emphasize these activities again and congratulate Kurt for his contribution to the success of the ESP and the European Photochemistry Association (EPA). Their strength is now reflected (among other things) in the success of this journal, but in the first place in the success of various scientific projects that evolved from the contacts between young colleagues who had the opportunity of interacting in the congresses organized by these societies and also during the Ringberg meetings on the “Spectroscopy of Photosensors and Antennas”, initiated by Kurt in 1978 and still going on.

This special issue presents the reader with 31 contributions spanning most areas of current interest in photochemistry and photobiology. It is an appropriate tribute to Kurt's restless efforts to promote the photosciences and educate the next generation of photoscientists that this is the largest issue ever published in Photochemical & Photobiological Sciences.

Kurt turned 80 and he is in great shape. We wish him many more years of healthy and happy life with his wife Gertraud. We hope to have him around and enjoy his company and important advice for many years to come.

 

Silvia E. Braslavsky, Santi Nonell, Frans De Schryver

Editors

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