skip to content

Department of Earth Sciences

 
Image of a woman smiling, superimposed on an illustration of chemical symbols for magnesium

C&EN, the weekly news magazine of the American Chemical Society (ACS), has unvelied its annual “Talented 12” list.

Dr Emilie Ringe, who is jointly based at Cambridge’s Department of Earth Sciences and Materials Science, is recognised for her pioneering work on plasmonic nanoparticles.
These miniscule particles act like bright beacons, harnessing and emitting energy which can be used to trigger chemical reactions, or even kill cancerous cells. Plasmonic nanoparticles are often made from expensive metals like gold and silver, but Ringe’s breakthrough research discovered that the cheap and readily-available element magnesium could be used instead.  


“I am thrilled to have been chosen as one of the Talented 12. My move to Cambridge from Rice University nearly 4 years ago, coupled with substantial funding from the ERC (Starting Grant), has allowed me to recruit incredible graduate students and postdocs – and it’s been especially gratifying to see them go on to do groundbreaking science,” said Ringe.

Sponsored by Thermo Fisher Scientific, the program, now in its seventh year, highlights early-career researchers in the chemical sciences who are fearlessly tackling difficult global problems. C&EN selected this year’s Talented 12 from a highly competitive pool. The world-changing work by this year’s group includes efforts to remove pollutants from water, transform the immune system to fight cancer and create the next generation of chemical catalysts. You can see the full list of 2021’s Talented 12 class here.

“We are delighted to present the 2021 class of C&EN’s Talented 12. This year is the seventh edition of the program and it continues to be an honor and a privilege to recognize some of the world’s greatest early-career scientists,” says Bibiana Campos Seijo, editor-in-chief and vice president of C&EN Media Group. “C&EN’s Talented 12 is an annual opportunity to take a look at the young visionaries and entrepreneurs who are taking the chemical sciences in new and innovative directions. The class of 2021 does not disappoint: Let’s celebrate and be inspired by the leaders of tomorrow.”

The Talented 12 will each give a snapshot of their life and research during a virtual symposium on Sept. 27th and 28th. Register to save the date for this free event here: cenm.ag/t12symp2021.