TU WIEN is Austria’s largest scientific-technical research and educational institution with about 28,000 students. The TU WIEN Vienna has a great pool of specialists acting in a wide range of different topics in research, teaching and as partners of the economy. More than 3,000 scientists do their research and teaching at highly advanced and modern institutes. The TU WIEN puts great emphasis on cooperation between its own institutes and with other universities. Therefore, the TU WIEN participates in several EU and many other research programs.

The Institute of Applied Synthetic Chemistry, which is part of the Faculty of Technical Chemistry, TU WIEN focuses on new developments in the field of synthetic chemistry. Its scientists work on many research projects in close collaboration with other faculties and institutions in Vienna as well as universities and companies from all over the world. Bioorganic and medicinal chemistry were established as one of the main foci and include the introduction of a new interdisciplinary doctoral program in molecular and elemental bioimaging.

Major research activities in relation to this proposal

• Bioorthogonal chemistry and imaging
• Computational chemistry and reaction kinetics
• Translational research
• Radiopharmaceutical tracer development

The department has several research programs that integrate organic synthesis, radiochemistry, computational chemistry, physical organic chemistry and translational chemistry with innovative work in areas where traditional scientific disciplines intersect and cross the boundaries of the organization of the institute.

Professor Johannes Fröhlich

Currently full professor of organic chemistry and Vice-Rector for Research at TU WIEN, professor Frohlich has a long-standing expertise in organic chemistry, spectroscopy and the elucidation of molecular mechanisms. His group is working in the fields of diagnostic tool development (including bioorthogonal chemistry and probes), materials chemistry and bioelectronics. He is currently supervising 10 PhD and six diploma students. He co-authored more than 100 scientific publications, received several awards for his achievements including elected full member of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts, Richard-Zsigmondy-Medal and Science Award of the State of Lower Austria. As Vice-Rector for Research at TU WIEN, Dr. Frohlich is highly involved in exploitation and long-term collaborations with many companies.

Principal investigator Hannes Mikula

Principal investigator at TU WIEN since 2013, HM finished his PhD (promotio sub auspiciis Praesidentis) in organic chemistry in 2013 focusing on carbohydrate chemistry, metabolism of xenobiotics, natural products and computational organic chemistry. He started independent research working in the fields of bioorthogonal chemistry and the development of diagnostic tools, initiating several grant-funded research projects at TU WIEN in collaboration with international partners and companies. One of the groups’ first achievements was the successful development of an ¹⁸F-labeled tetrazine that exhibited promising in vivo properties.