Presentation | SysChem

A new-generation research and training institute in the emerging field of complex systems chemistry

SysChem is a new-generation research and training institute, in the form of an Interdisciplinary Thematic Institute, created from the alliance between laboratories at the cutting edge of progress in the emerging field of complex systems chemistry and a research school unlike any other in France: the CSC Graduate School, which offers interdisciplinary training through research, from Masters to PhD.

SysChem’s objectives

Structuring an interdisciplinary center of excellence: recruiting international researchers
Fostering the emergence of innovative research, focused on programmable and functional molecular systems
Attracting and training new generations of researchers through interdisciplinary teaching closely connected to research activities
Strengthening partnerships with companies and institutions with the support of the JML Foundation

CSC Graduate School students

Complex systems chemistry

Over the past two decades, Strasbourg researchers have been at the leading edge of progress in the emerging field of complex systems chemistry. They use the framework defined by supramolecular chemistry and complex systems to enable major developments in smart systems with emerging functions. At the interface between chemistry, biology, physics, materials sciences and nanosciences, complex systems chemistry uses a material’s self-organising properties (like self-programming capabilities for software) to create “smart” materials capable of responding to their environment.

The 4 scientific pillars of SysChem

The research cluster is structured around four main research areas:

Pillar 1: Energy and functional materials
Pillar 2: Chemistry–biology interface and bioinspired systems
Pillar 3: Biocompatible materials and architectures
Pillar 4: Quantum chemistry and emerging phenomena

A successful intergenerational collaboration

A pioneer in this discipline, Jean-Marie Lehn won the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1987 for his work in the field of supramolecular chemistry. He was the founder of the network of researchers investigating complex systems chemistry that was established in Strasbourg in 2011.

Jean-Marie Lehn has profoundly influenced generations of scientists through his pioneering research, inspiring teaching, and boundless curiosity. Thanks to his vision, he has been connecting generations, disciplines, and sectors, contributing for 25 years to reshaping and modernizing the scientific landscape in Strasbourg and beyond.

What is an Interdisciplinary Thematic Institute ?

Interdisciplinary Thematic Institutes (ITI) are bodies created by the University of Strasbourg with a unique structure, combining a group of academic laboratories with a research school around a theme, to create a centre of excellence. These new institutes contribute in a new way to the understanding and resolution of the major scientific and social challenges of the 21st century. They benefit from financial support from the university’s IdEx (Initiatives of Excellence) scheme, under the Investments for the Future Program (PIA) put in place by the French state.