BioSysteM Spokesperson Prof. Friedrich Simmel Awarded Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Medal
The winners of the TUM Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Medal with their well-wishers (from left): Prof. Sebastian Pfotenhauer, Executive Vice President Prof. Juliane Winkelmann, Prof. Stefan Engelhardt, Prof. Friedrich Simmel, Prof. Jennifer Rupp, Executive Vice President Prof. Gerhard Kramer. © Andreas Heddergott / TUM
During the Dies Academicus, TUM’s annual celebration, on December 4, 2025, Prof. Friedrich Simmel, spokesperson of the BioSysteM Cluster of Excellence, was awarded the Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Medal, the university’s highest scientific award.
Named in honor of Heinz Maier-Leibnitz, a pioneer of German neutron physics, the medal stands for scientific curiosity, innovation, and academic excellence. It honors outstanding researchers whose groundbreaking work and long-term commitment to teaching and scholarly leadership have significantly shaped the university’s scientific profile.
A pioneer in synthetic biosystems, Prof. Simmel conducts internationally recognized research on DNA-based nanostructures, artificial molecular machines, and biochemical control loops. His work opens new perspectives on programmable biological functionality and the design of molecular systems. The award recognizes his seminal contributions to these fields, as well as his leadership and engagement as spokesperson of the BioSysteM Cluster of Excellence.
Congratulations to Prof. Simmel on this well-deserved recognition!
The full original announcement by TUM, including details on all awardees, can be found here: https://www.tum.de/en/news-and-events/all-news/press-releases/details/maintaining-excellence-and-relevance
Further information and links
- Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Medal
- Prof. Dr. Friedrich Simmel
- The Simmel Lab (Prof. Simmel’s Physics of Synthetic Biological Systems research group)