Dominik Stemer establishes an Emmy Noether Research Group
Dr. Dominik Stemer, postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Molecular Physics at the Fritz Haber Institute, has been accepted by the German Research Foundation (DFG) into the prestigious Emmy Noether Program. Starting by the beginning of 2026, he will head the research group “Enantiosensitive Photoelectron Spectroscopy of Chiral Aqueous Solutions,” which will focus on researching chirality in aqueous solutions of amino acids.
Until now, Dr. Dominik Stemer worked in Dr. Bernd Winter's research group in the Department of Molecular Physics at the Fritz Haber Institute. Since the beginning of the year, he has been an independent group leader - a milestone for the young scientist. The German Research Foundation (DFG) is funding his research project as part of the Emmy Noether Program and is providing his group, “Enantiosensitive Photoelectron Spectroscopy of Chiral Aqueous Solutions,” with up to €1.6 million for this purpose. Formally his research group will be hosted by the University of Münster from February 1, 2026, but they will retain guest status at the Fritz Haber Institute and do many of their experiments in the laboratories at the Molecular Physics Department.
Dr. Stemer has extensive knowledge of photoelectron spectroscopy of liquid jets, which his new research group intends to build on. In his Emmy Noether project, Dr. Stemer now wants to investigate molecules with a very specific property: chirality. Chiral molecules exist in a left-handed and a right-handed form - that is, as two mirror images of each other, which, despite their similarity, can have completely different properties. The focus of the research group is on understanding the interactions between chiral biomolecules and the solvent in which they are found, primarily water.
Chiral molecules play a fundamental role in the biochemistry of life. Many biomolecules, including amino acids and vital sugars, are chiral. However, fundamental questions surrounding chirality remain unresolved. For example, why does our body use only left-handed amino acids to build proteins? Or how do chiral molecules “recognize” each other. The solvent water also plays a crucial role in the functionality of biomolecules by stabilizing their function-defining three-dimensional structure and transferring interactions between molecules. However, the exact nature of this effect of water on chiral molecules has not yet been clarified in detail.
This is precisely where the research of the research group “Enantiosensitive Photoelectron Spectroscopy of Chiral Aqueous Solutions” comes in: they are investigating chirality in aqueous solutions of amino acids. To this end, they are developing a novel and effective method known as enantiosensitive liquid-jet photoelectron spectroscopy. Their long-term goal is to gain a more precise understanding of important fundamental and technologically relevant processes in aqueous phases, including induced chirality in molecular solvation shells and chiral recognition between molecules.
Dominik Stemer obtained his PhD at the University of California, Los Angeles, in the group of Professor Paul Weiss in 2020. Since early 2021, he has been a postdoctoral researcher in the Molecular Physics Department at the FHI. Beginning on February 1st, 2026, he will join the University of Münster as an Emmy Noether Group leader. His group will remain guests at the FHI and will continue to collaborate closely with colleagues here in the coming years.
The Fritz Haber Institute warmly congratulates Dr. Stemer on this important step in his scientific career. We wish him all the best for the future and eagerly await the research project of his new Emmy Noether Group!
About the Emmy Noether Program
The Emmy Noether Program was introduced in 1997 by the German Research Foundation (DFG) to promote outstanding young scientists. It offers highly qualified young researchers the opportunity to qualify for a university professorship by leading a junior research group for six years.
Postdoctoral researchers from all disciplines can apply for this highly competitive program, generally up to four years after completing their doctorate. A project in the Emmy Noether Program will only be funded if it meets outstanding scientific standards and if the applicants are able to successfully carry out the research activities due to their special scientific qualifications.
The program is named after the German mathematician Emmy Noether.
