Dr Antje Potthast, Full Professor at the Institute of Chemistry of Renewable Resources at the Department of Natural Sciences and Sustainable Resources of BOKU University in Vienna, Austria is the recipient of the 2026 Anselme Payen award! She is the Deputy Director of the Institute, serves as the Scientific Head of the BOKU Core Facility “Analysis of Lignocellulosics” (ALICE) and is the Speaker of the Doctoral School “Advanced Biorefineries: Chemistry & Materials” (ABC&M) at BOKU University.
Dr. Potthast heads the Biopolymer and Paper Analysis research group that specialises in addressing analytical questions and developing analytical methodology related to lignocelluloses, especially cellulose, hemicelluloses, lignin, and to a smaller extent extractives. This includes the application of established methodology to investigate different types and tasks of polymers and new biomaterials as well as the design new analytical approaches. A special focus is on modern cellulose and lignin analysis and its further development and application to current research in the field of lignocelluloses, with an emphasis on advanced size exclusion chromatography. One important application field is conservational science of cellulosic objects with regard to preservation of valuable cultural heritage. To date, she has accumulated a total of ~19,000 citations, ~400 peer-reviewed publications with an h-index of 74.
Dr. Potthast’s work in understanding the fundamental chemistry of cellulose and lignin has advanced the body of knowledge in biomaterials science. Her contributions to the study of the chemical structure of cellulose and lignin have addressed significant gaps in the literature, particularly in understanding molecular weight-related issues in analysis and application, how manipulations of these biopolymers for different applications can be followed analytically. This includes the development of new methods for analyzing oxidative damage in more depth – by profiling of oxidized groups relative to molecular weight distributions, models for cellulose fiber functionalization and a better grasp of how lignin’s complex chemistry can be tailored for specific uses. Notably, Dr. Potthast has always put an emphasis on the development of analytical tools to unequivocally analyze both the original substrate and the wide portfolio of products covered by her research.
To quote a statement from one of the judges of the judging panel:
“The distinguishing words I would use for Antje’s work are quality, impact, and cleverness. She takes on important, highly impactful issues. She investigates those issues making superb use of cutting-edge tools of organic synthesis, analytical chemistry, and polymer science. She does so in ways that are so clever, and elegant. The result is always deep insight, often providing illumination to a question that others in the field have often wondered about, but have not known how to approach.”
Congratulations to Dr. Potthast!
Vision and Mission