The annual Latsis Prize, awarded in recognition of outstanding research by scientists under 40, has been awarded to Frédéric Merkt for his work in the field of physical chemistry.

The annual Latsis Prize, awarded in recognition of outstanding research by scientists under 40, has been awarded to Frédéric Merkt for his work in the field of physical chemistry. The 33 year-old professor at the Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich takes home prize money worth SFr100,000.

Merkt's research has focussed on understanding how molecules behave if they emit electrons. Experimenting to see if they changed shape, Merkt developed a new ultra violet laser light source and techniques for measuring minute electronic fields.

The Swiss National Science Foundation, which awarded the prize on behalf of the Latsis Foundation, said Merkt's work had contributed to a deeper understanding of processes which take place in the atmosphere and outer space.

Merkt was born in 1966 in Neuchatel. After graduating with a degree in chemistry from the Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, he was awarded a PhD from Cambridge University in England. He returned to Switzerland after working for several years in France and the United States.

From staff and wire reports

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