Text written in Basque and translated automatically by Elia without any subsequent editing. SEE ORIGINAL

[Niels Reichardt: chemistry for health]

After being born and living in Germany, the scientist who we will know up close today has been working all over Europe, but the research has brought him to San Sebastian, where he now resides. He holds a PhD in Chemistry and works at the CIC biomaGUNE research centre, located in the Technology Park of San Sebastian. Han is the head of the glycochemistry lab. He works on the development of carbohydrate research methods.

"Hi, I'm Niels Reichart. I am a chemist and I am the head of the glycochemistry laboratory at CIC biomaGUNE.

I studied chemistry. Practical reasons led me to make the decision. Between Chemistry, Physics and Biology, between the natural sciences, the safe labor market of Chemistry in Germany at that time.

I did my doctoral thesis in the field of carbohydrates with Manuel Martin Lomas. In order to increase my knowledge of total synthesis, I did my post-doctorate in France, in Strasbourg. A few months later I went to the private company, a spin-off from the University of Oxford. I was then invited to come to the Basque Country to set up a research group at CiC biomaGUNE.

In this laboratory we design, develop and apply methods to clarify the role of carbohydrates in biological processes. There is no methodology to investigate these processes, it is a complete absence. We want to help glycobiologists, and we have prepared a tool called a glycochip to massively analyze thousands of interactions.

We want to take advantage of the multiple opportunities offered by glycoscience, i.e. carbohydrates, in the fields of human health, energy and industry in general. In the health field, for example, we want to prevent the entry of the influenza virus into the cell through a carbohydrate-protein association. Glycans can also be used as biomarkers for cancer or other contagious diseases.

Research in the public or industrial field is different, although I think they are more and more similar. Public research will be increasingly applied; it will focus on solving specific problems and will cease to be arbitrary and exploratory. That's what I think.

In principle, in the public sphere we have more freedom to choose the research topic and the process of approximation, that is, the methodology and the deadlines for finding a solution to the problems, also tends to be different. These decisions are usually made by the principal investigator and by the investor in the company. In any case, I believe that public research has also had an investor: it is public funds and, as a result, more and more times the deadlines for solving problems are known or at least studied and researched. Perhaps the issues that we can investigate are still different from those of private companies.

I think they value us based on what we do. It is the responsibility of the researcher to inform us of our work, and we do not do it, and we must also contribute to the creation of wealth. I would like to give the same importance to us as others.

I’m concerned about the difficulty of keeping up with the growing avalanche of publications. But to say that's the worst part... The truth is that I am very happy with my work, there are always things that you do not like very much, but to call it the worst...

I like the opportunity we have to learn new things and the variety of jobs I do: study, educate, learn, publish... invent."