65th birthday of professor wolfbeis

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65th birthday of Professor Wolfbeis # Springer-Verlag 2012 Es ist schon alles gesagt, aber nicht von allen. (All has been said, but not yet by all) Karl Valentin Multi-talented German artist Microchimica Acta is a traditional journal published regu- larly since 1927 when it was founded by Nobel Prize winner Fritz Pregl. Since then it has seen several editors (and editorial teams), all of them having done excellent work establishing MCA as a highly reputable journal. In 2002 Professor Otto Wolfbeis took over the role as the Editor-in-chief of MCA andas can be well judged after 10 years of his leadershipthis became a hallmark for the journal. MCA developed its distinct profile by tying together the initial intentions of its founder which focused on the subject of micro and trace analysis with modern insights in the light of the new millennium. Accordingly in 2011 the subtitle of MCA was altered to An International Journal on Analytical Micro- and Nanochemistry. Going from Micro to Nano in many areas of Analytical Chemistry has been emulated by a large number of papers published in MCA, which is obviously recognized by authors and readers as a strength of the journal. The annual number of papers published in MCA has significantly in- creased in the past 10 years with paralleled improvement of quality. Since 2003 MCA has enhanced its impact factor from 0.8 to the current value of 2.6. This quantitative assessment indirectly reflects that the path set forth by Professor Wolfbeis is very appropriate. His pragmatism, enthusiasm and visions are definitely the key to the success of MCA. Otto Wolfbeis is full Professor of Analytical and Interface Chemistry at the University of Regensburg and is truly an outstanding scientist with a current Hirsch index of 56. He has published over 550 scientific papers and is the editor of several books as well as Springer Series Editor for Methods and Applications of Fluorescence, Chemical Sensors and Biosen- sors and Bioanalytical Reviews. His work has been cited more than 12,000 times. He is a member of the advisory board of several renowned analytical journals, has been named (co-) inventor of 51 patents, and is the founder of a company. Otto Wolfbeis has instigated technology transfer from academic research to commercialized products for industry, as is reflected by the long list of products developed by his group such as instrumental analyzers, labels and probes. He designed the first chloride-sensitive fluorescent probes and developed the first optical chemical sensor ever commercialized. The scientific interests of Otto Wolfbeis include chemical and biochemical sensing schemes, (laser-induced) fluorescence spectroscopy, design of fluorescent probes and nanoparticles for sensing and labeling, fluorescence imaging, new polymers and sensor materials, surface plasmon resonance based sensing, carbon dots, graphenes and fullerenes. From an application point of view Otto Wolfbeis and his group have developed sensors for use in clinical settings and in biotechnology, in disposable or microplate format, immunoassays and hybridization assays, high-throughput screening and sensors for dermatology As an academic teacher Otto Wolfbeis has fascinated innumerous students for the science of Analytical Chemis- try, supervised uncountable Diploma Theses and more than Microchim Acta (2012) 178:16 DOI 10.1007/s00604-012-0845-y

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65th birthday of Professor Wolfbeis

# Springer-Verlag 2012

Es ist schon alles gesagt, aber nicht von allen.(All has been said, but not yet by all)

Karl ValentinMulti-talented German artist

Microchimica Acta is a traditional journal published regu-larly since 1927 when it was founded by Nobel Prize winnerFritz Pregl. Since then it has seen several editors (andeditorial teams), all of them having done excellent workestablishing MCA as a highly reputable journal.

In 2002 Professor Otto Wolfbeis took over the role as theEditor-in-chief of MCA and—as can be well judged after10 years of his leadership—this became a hallmark for thejournal. MCA developed its distinct profile by tying togetherthe initial intentions of its founder which focused on the subjectof micro and trace analysis with modern insights in the light ofthe new millennium. Accordingly in 2011 the subtitle of MCAwas altered to “An International Journal on Analytical Micro-and Nanochemistry”. Going fromMicro toNano in many areasof Analytical Chemistry has been emulated by a large numberof papers published inMCA, which is obviously recognized byauthors and readers as a strength of the journal. The annual

number of papers published in MCA has significantly in-creased in the past 10 years with paralleled improvement ofquality. Since 2003 MCA has enhanced its impact factor from0.8 to the current value of 2.6. This quantitative assessmentindirectly reflects that the path set forth by Professor Wolfbeisis very appropriate. His pragmatism, enthusiasm and visionsare definitely the key to the success of MCA.

Otto Wolfbeis is full Professor of Analytical and InterfaceChemistry at the University of Regensburg and is truly anoutstanding scientist with a current Hirsch index of 56. Hehas published over 550 scientific papers and is the editor ofseveral books as well as Springer Series Editor forMethods andApplications of Fluorescence, Chemical Sensors and Biosen-sors and Bioanalytical Reviews. His work has been cited morethan 12,000 times. He is a member of the advisory board ofseveral renowned analytical journals, has been named (co-)inventor of 51 patents, and is the founder of a company. OttoWolfbeis has instigated technology transfer from academicresearch to commercialized products for industry, as is reflectedby the long list of products developed by his group such asinstrumental analyzers, labels and probes. He designed the firstchloride-sensitive fluorescent probes and developed the firstoptical chemical sensor ever commercialized.

The scientific interests of OttoWolfbeis include chemical andbiochemical sensing schemes, (laser-induced) fluorescencespectroscopy, design of fluorescent probes and nanoparticlesfor sensing and labeling, fluorescence imaging, new polymersand sensor materials, surface plasmon resonance based sensing,carbon dots, graphenes and fullerenes. From an application pointof view OttoWolfbeis and his group have developed sensors foruse in clinical settings and in biotechnology, in disposable ormicroplate format, immunoassays and hybridization assays,high-throughput screening and sensors for dermatology

As an academic teacher Otto Wolfbeis has fascinatedinnumerous students for the science of Analytical Chemis-try, supervised uncountable Diploma Theses and more than

Microchim Acta (2012) 178:1–6DOI 10.1007/s00604-012-0845-y

75 PhD-theses. Several of his former students from theUniversity of Regensburg have got chairs in AnalyticalChemistry at universities worldwide, which is probably thehighest honor a teacher and mentor can receive.

Otto Wolfbeis established Analytical Chemistry at theUniversity of Regensburg as a major subject in the curricu-lum of chemical education. He also founded the Institute ofAnalytical Chemistry, Chemo- and Biosensors as an inter-disciplinary research center hardly to find its peer in Ger-many and other countries as well.

As appreciation of his scientific contributions in Analyt-ical Chemistry Otto Wolfbeis has received an impressivenumber of honors, e.g. Feigl Prize for Microanalysis, MerckPrize for Achievements in Sensor Technology, Friedrich-Emich Medal for Molecular Spectroscopy, Japanese Honor-ary Lectureship Award and the Křižík Medal of the CzechAcademy of Science.

We, the Assistant to the Editor and Managing Editors ofMCA, have on numerous occasions experienced the impres-sive energy, clear-sightedness and visions of Otto Wolfbeiswith respect to MCA matters, in addition to his friendlinessand good sense of humor. After many hours of hard work atEditorial Board meetings there was always time for dinnerwith a good glass of wine. Here we met Otto Wolfbeis on apersonal level. His interests extend well beyond AnalyticalChemistry, and he can intelligently entertain a company withserious talks about politics, economy and philosophy, but alsomake people laugh with anecdotes and private stories.

Dear Otto Wolfbeis, we heartily congratulate you to the65th return of your birthday. May the years to come presentyou first and foremost with good health and the strength totackle the things you always wished to do (and that couldnot always been done in the past due to your manifoldscientific and academic activities). May you also have timefor relaxation with your family and friends and, of course, tocontinue as the captain of MCA guiding the “ship” towardsnew, exciting, and possibly yet undiscovered horizons.

We sincerely appreciate the opportunity to work togetherwith you, for the benefit of MCA, and do hope that we cancontinue to do so for many years to come.

Jolanta Oleksy Frenzel Wolfgang Frenzel Thomas Hirsch

Dear Otto Wolfbeis,

On behalf of Springer, we send our cordial congratulationson the occasion of your 65th birthday. We hold the vision inhigh esteem, with which you have shaped the landscape ofpublishing in analytical and bioanalytical science over thelast decades. Becoming the Editor-in-Chief of MicrochimicaActa in times of mergers you maintained the independenceof the journal by developing its distinct profile, guiding it

through all turbulences to finally become a very success-ful journal in its field. But also as the founder and firstSeries Editor of the Springer Series on Chemical andBiochemical Sensors and the Springer Series on Fluores-cence, you have over the last decades contributed consid-erably to making Springer what it is today. For all theseachievements we want to express our sincere thanks. Wesend all our very best wishes for the next phase of yourscientific and personal life and look forward to continuingour successful collaboration.

Silvia Schilgerius Stephen Soehnlen Steffen PaulySpringer, Heidelberg, Wien

Dear Otto:

It is not an easy task to write an original birthday letterwithout using trite phrases. So, to your birthday, I do wish toregal you with the beautiful Desiderata of Max Ehrmannand the Dance of Youth of Pablo Picasso:

Go placidly amid the noise and the haste,and remember what peace there may be in silence.As far as possible, without surrender, be on good terms withall persons.Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others,even to the dull and the ignorant; they too have their story.Avoid loud and aggressive persons; they are vexatious to thespirit.If you compare yourself with others, you may become vainor bitter,for always there will be greater and lesser persons thanyourself.Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.Keep interested in your own career, however humble;it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.Exercise caution in your business affairs, for the world isfull of trickery.But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;many persons strive for high ideals, and everywhere life isfull of heroism.Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection.Neither be cynical about love, for in the face of all aridityand disenchantment, it is as perennial as the grass.Take kindly the counsel of the years,gracefully surrendering the things of youth.Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself.You are a child of the universe no less than the trees and thestars;

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you have a right to be here.And whether or not it is clear to you,no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Himto be.And whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisyconfusion of life,keep peace in your soul.With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,it is still a beautiful world.Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.”

!!!!FELIZ CUMPLEAÑOS, OTTO¡¡¡¡Marta E. Diaz-GarciaUniversity of Oviedo, Spain

Dear Otto,

Your pioneering research activity, which has been recog-nized all over the world in the area of Analytical Chemistryin general and optical biosensors in particular, has accom-panied you during these years to the age of 65 that usually isthe starting point to get honours and medals and to let othersdo research. I do not think this is your case knowing yourlove for research and teaching activities.

However if you are “forced” to leave be sure to remem-ber that your school has been a reference point for manyscientists and will continue with success and satisfactions.

Happy birthday Otto and “Ad majora”Pino PalleschiUniversita di Roma “Tor Vergata”, Italy

Dear Otto,

On the occasion of your upcoming birthday celebration, Iwould like to extend my very best wishes for your good

health and many happy and creative years to come. I wouldlike to take this opportunity to thank you for your excellentactivities in Microchimica Acta and the rewarding relation-ship between the University of Regensburg and CharlesUniversity in Prague. I recall with satisfaction our discussionsover a glass (or two) of beer in the garden of the Regensburgbrewery on the embankment of the Danube River andrealize once again that we are friends, as close neighbors inRegensburg, Graz and Prague should be.

Karel ŠtulíkCharles University, Prague

Zum 65. Geburtstag von Herrn Professor Wolfbeis

Die Kunst des Ausruhens ist ein Teil der Kunst desArbeitens.

John Steinbeck

Wäre am 17. Juli 1947 der Geburtsort von Herrn Pro-fessor Wolfbeis um weniger als 10 km westlich vonGraz verschoben, müssten wir vielleicht jetzt statt HerrnProfessor Wolfbeis dem Ex-Gouverneur von KalifornienHerrn Arnold Schwarzenegger für seine Leistungen aufdem Gebiet der Sensorik- und Nano-Forschung gratulie-ren und unsere Anerkennung Herrn Professor Wolfbeisfür seine schauspielerischen und politischen Leistungenin Kalifornien zollen.

Herr Professor Wolfbeis wäre dann beachtlicher gebautals jetzt, hätte mehr Kontakte zur Politik und Filmwelt,aber faseroptische Mikrosensoren, planare Sensoren aufMikroplatten, Sauerstoffsensoren, Fluoreszenzfarbstoffe,Biofilme auf Goldplatten, optische Sensoren für Blutelektro-lyten etc. könnten nicht seine individuelle Handschrift tragen.Und er wäre auch nicht Editor-in-chief der MicrochimicaActa. Glücklicherweise spielte das Schicksal keinen Streichin diesem Fall und so ist Herr Professor Wolfbeis einer derberühmtesten Grazer Wissenschaftler geworden. Einer. derdas kulturelle Erbe von Graz weit in die Welt ausgestrahlt hat.

Seit 1996 ist Herr Professor Wolfbeis Ordinarius an derUniversität Regensburg und Gründer des Excellenzcluster“Biopark Regensburg”. Als Mitglied des Editorial AdvisoryBoards renommierter Fachzeitschriften wie Anal. Chim. Acta,Anal. Bioanal Chem., Sensors & Actuators, J. Fluorescence,Spectrochim. Acta B, Angew. Chemie unterstützt er die inter-nationale Forschungsgemeinschaft.

In Lehre und Forschung kann Herr Professor Wolf-beis auf viele Erfolge zurückblicken. Nach diesemarbeitsamen Leben und Schaffen ist jetzt die “Kunstdes Ausruhens” an der Reihe. Sicherlich wird auch hierGraz eine große Rolle spielen, wenn er im Kreise seinerlangjährigen Freunde sich außer der Sensorik auch derPhilosophie widmet.

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Ich wünsche Herrn Professor Wolfbeis gute Gesundheitund viel Glück zu seinem 65. Geburtstag! Ich hoffe auch,dass er am Editieren der Microchimica Acta noch lange Zeitviel Freude findet.

Herzlichen GlückwunschLaszlo FabryWacker-Chemie AG, Burghausen, Germany

Dear Otto,

it is my personal honor and great pleasure to know you per-sonally since the beginning of the 1990s, when we were at thattime strongly interested especially in exploiting the attractivepossibilities of using conductive polymers in electrochemicaland optical sensors. I had the pleasure to visit you first whenyou were still employed as Associate Professor at University ofGraz, and later on already within our educational collaborationin the European scheme ERASMUS in Regensburg.

Your outstanding scientific position in contemporary ana-lytical chemistry is particularly pronounced in the field ofoptical sensing, especially based on luminescence properties.I admire you creative inventions which resulted in 40 patentsand great achievements in commercialized applications ofyour scientific achievements. I congratulate you especiallyfor your outstanding achievements in scientific publishingactivity, which is expressed by publishing more than 500research papers, which scored about 12 thousands citations.

Your exceptional talent in organization of academic lifeallowed you to establish the Institute of Analytical Chemis-try at University of Regensburg as one of the leading re-search centers in the field of chemical and biochemicalsensors, editing as Editor-in-chief of Microchimica Actaand participation in numerous other publishing AdvisoryBoards and organization of international chemical events.

On your 65th birthday I address to you my best wishes of apersonal satisfaction, successful continuation of you academicactivity with good health and increase of proportion of personalrelax to further exploring molecular relaxation phenomena.

Yours,Marek TrojanowiczUniversity of Warsaw, Poland

Dear Otto,

Please accept my sincere congratulations on your 65th birth-day. I have gotten to appreciate very much your commitmentto create a strong European community for optical sensors thatin turn has attracted significant interest from the rest of the

world. Youwere among the key pioneers to put optical sensorson the map of Analytical Chemistry and have not got tired topromote this important research direction. Thanks for all yourcontributions. It is highly appreciated.

Best personal regards,Eric BakkerUniversity of Geneva, Switzerland

Dear Jubilarian!

Hours do not strike for a successful scientist—but once in awhileit may be nice to have a few old-fashioned candles on a birthdaycake besides a lot of light-emitting assays, fluorescent probesand labels, gleaming microparticles, or glowing surfaces.

Therefore, Happy Birthday! Enjoy this special day andtake it as a start for many more successful years to come.Congratulations on your amazing achievements in science!May the best of your past be the worst of your future!

Last but not least, in my role as current President of theAustrian Society of Analytical Chemistry (ASAC) I wouldlike to send you the best wishes from the community ofAustrian analytical chemists. Your activities have been amajor contribution within the process of strengthening therole of analytical sciences in Austria and giving it an inter-nationally recognized focus.

Once again–Happy Birthday and many happy returns ofthe day!

Wolfgang BuchbergerUniversität Linz, Austria

OttoWolfbeis, not only is a hero in development and applicationof fluorescence sensors in analytical chemistry, but also serves asa benchmark for all of us as academic teacher. Not only filed (ISIWeb of Knowledge) today with more than 12.000 citations, aHirsch-index of 56, and approx. 20 papers with more than 100citations each. Rather he is also successful as an entrepreneur,knowing quite well, that academic research should never stop bycounting publications. He is currently acting as a condensationnucleus for a sensor cluster, located at Regensburg University,but providing and exchanging knowledge far beyond Bavaria.His international standing is excellent. He multiplied the aca-demic power of brilliance of the discipline analytical chemistryin Germany, and Austria as well, a lot. I hope he still will servemany years in future as a reference.

Reinhard Niessner,Technische Universität München, Germany

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The first time I met Otto Wolfbeis is many years ago.It was in the time of the Graz Microanalytical Symposiumin 1980, where I took part and met many colleaguesactive in analytical chemistry for the first time. WithWolfbeis the area of sensors for me always has beenassociated. However, he is part of the powerful Austriancommunity of analytical chemistry, who performed somuch work in analytical chemistry. After my being partof the editorial team of Microchimica Acta for someten years it was a pleasure for me to again become amember of the Editorial Advisory Board on the personalinvitation by Wolfbeis at an Euroanalysis meeting and tobring input on atomic spectrometry, especially. It is al-ways with joy we submit manuscripts to MicrochimicaActa, especially when the micro-aspect of the work doneis evident. The times for journals are rough as many newjournals appear but the strong and well-established oneswill survive, especially when Editors with vision andcooperation with the publishers steer the ship, as it isthe case with Microchimica Acta. In this sense I cordiallywish Otto Wolfbeis on the occasion of his 65th birthday agood health and many initiatives for the years to comewith Microchimica Acta and on the profit of the wholeanalytical community.

José A.C. BroekaertUniversity of Hamburg, Germany

Dear Otto,

The 65th birthday is definitively special. An occasion tolook back to the achievement but also forward to whatmay come next, new freedom, still young to change theworld and to go into new ideas and challenges. I wishyou personally all the best for your birthday, first of alland most importantly good health for a long time, goodideas, new challenges but also time to do everythingwhat you enjoy to do. I wish Microchimica Acta thatyou will be for a long time available as Editor-in-chiefwho was and is the leading person responsible for thesubstantial improvement of the quality of this journal. Ipersonally published my first paper in MicrochimicaActa in 1995; a review which was until now cited morethan 140 times. Since then a long time has passed andthe journal substantially improved under your leader-ship. I hope it will continue to do so. For your birthdayI wish you people around who are close to you, a niceparty and a view into a bright future.

Wolfgang SchuhmannRuhr-Universität Bochum, Germany

What a special occasion and opportunity for me to ex-press my deep appreciation to Professor Wolfbeis. As apedagogue, a researcher or in his activities as Editor-in-chief of MCA, Prof. Wolfbeis is an example of devotionand dedication to science and knowledge, constantly seek-ing new challenges, new expertise and new ways to improveour understanding on chemistry. Therefore, thank you, Pro-fessor Wolfbeis, and best wishes for the years to come. Yourfour decades as analytical chemist and educator havetouched on many lives, and mine is one of them.

Jose Luis Fontes da Costa-LimaUniversity of Porto, Portugal

Dear Prof. Wolfbeis,

Congratulations on your 65th birthday! I believe everyone inthe fluorescence community will miss your determination andcommitment to get things going and done in due time. It willbe hard to anyone to fill your shoes even to some extent.

I thank you for your support and encouragement, and Iwish you long and happy retirement! I am sure that you, ifanyone, know also how to enjoy it!

Tero SoukkaUniversity of Turku, Finland

Dear Professor Wolfbeis,

Let me express my best wishes and congratulations to youon the occasion of your 65th birthday! Let me also expressmy admiration for your great scientific contributions in thefield of optical sensors and your significant achievementsfor the Scientific Community, as indicated, among others,by your role as Editor-in-chief of Microchimica Acta. I hopeto be able to continue working with you on the AdvisoryBoard of the journal for many years to come. For yourhonorary day, I wish you a lot of fun and excitement withyour family and friends, as well as good health and a greatbalance between science and recreation in the future.

Sincerely yours,Uwe KarstUniversity of Muenster, Germany

Dear Otto

Analytical chemistry deals with quantification, and sinceyour scientific vigor and creativity continue to grow from

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year to year, I thought that it would be appropriate to helpyou set a date by which you should start feeling old. Thebest definition that I know for old age is the square root ofone’s age times ten! Unfortunately by this definition youhave only 16 years to go. But, fortunately this definitionallows you gradual extension, at least until you reach 100.And, well, by then you will probably come up with your

own illuminating formula. Happy new returns! We are alllooking forward to hearing about your research in manymore conferences in Israel and throughout the world in theyears to come.

Ovadia LevHebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel

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