Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to announce that the winner of the Molecules 2021 Young Investigator Award is Dr. Biplab Maji.

Dr. Maji was nominated by Prof. Herbert Mayr, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Germany and Prof . Hisashi Yamamoto, Chubu University, Japan.

He obtained his M.Sc. degree from the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (llT Kanpur) in 2009 and received his Ph.D. from Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitiit Mirnchen, Germany, in 2012. He did postdoctoral studies at Chubu University, Japan, and at Westfdlische Wilhelms-Universitdt Munster, Germany, in asymmetric synthesis and catalysis. ln July 2016, he joined DCS IISER Kolkata as an assistant professor and was recently promoted to associate professor in the same department. As an independent researcher, Dr. Maji's research addresses the challenge and the demand for a greener and more sustainable chemical synthesis. During the last four years, they have developed catalysts with abundant first-row-transition metals and main-group elements. They reengineered state-of-the-art catalytic pathways to address the need for high catalytic activity and selectivity and to avoid utilizing critical element resources. The group significantly advanced the field of manganese catalyzed hydrogen transfer reactions. Dr. Maji's research outcomes have appeared in several peer-reviewed international journals that are highly ranked globally. These research articles are widely cited and followed by researchers in different parts of the world.

Please join us in congratulating Dr. Biplab Maji for his outstanding achievements.

As the awardee, he will receive an honorarium of 2000 CHF, an offer to publish a paper free of charge before the end of July 2022 in Molecules after peer review, and an engraved plaque.

We would like to thank all those who nominated a candidate from various fields of study for their participation and all the Award Committee Members for their evaluation of the many excellent nominees.

Prof. Dr. Farid Chemat
Editor-in-Chief, Molecules