Professor Katja Loos

Prof. Katja Loos is Professor of Polymer Science and Applied Chemistry at the Faculty of Science and Engineering. She studied at the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Germany and obtained a PhD in the field of macromolecular chemistry at the University of Bayreuth, Germany. Before coming to Groningen in 2003, she worked as (guest) researcher and lecturer in Germany, the United States, Brazil, and Spain. Her research focuses mainly on the synthesis and characterization of new, tailor-made macromolecules, as well as the development of sustainable, eco-efficient, and competitive production methods of polymeric materials.

Loos has won several awards, among which the IUPAC 2021 Distinguished Women in Chemistry award. In order to qualify for this award, candidates are selected on the basis of their excellence in the field of fundamental or applied research, their remarkable performances in the field of teaching or instructing, or their exceptional leadership or management qualities in the field of chemical sciences.

Recently, together with other polymer scientists from the UG and NHL Stenden, Prof. Loos created a recyclable plastic membrane made of bioplastic, which can remove oil from water. This could be a solution to the issue of oil pollution in water. When the pores in the membrane get clogged by contaminants, the membrane can be depolymerized, cleaned, and afterwards be pressed into a new membrane. In 2022, Katja Loos won the Team Science Award of the Dutch Research Council (NWO) with her research group HyBRit.