EuCheMS Chemistry Congress plenary speakers: Ben Feringa

When I was at high school, I had excellent teachers and my chemistry teacher in particular was very stimulating and inspired me a lot. I think that set me on the track to go into natural sciences and particularly into chemistry. I was really intrigued by the fact that you could do experiments yourself, that you could make materials, see beautiful colours and crystals.

I went to university and studied chemistry and I got really excited by chemistry in my third year, when for the first time, we could do small research projects. I remember the sheer feeling of excitement that I made a molecule that the professor said, as far as he knew, had never been made in the world before. It was an absolutely useless molecule I think, but it was such a feeling of ‘wow’.

It's a bit like being an artist, I think, when you make a new piece of music, or a new painting, or a new piece of a poem. I think that lured me into research.

What interests you the most about your area of research?

There is a lot to be discovered, but what excites me most is the whole shift in the area where I work, from molecules to more dynamic molecular systems.

There are all kinds of molecules that work in concert to do responsive functions – ultimately leading to systems that show life-like behaviours. These things have the complexity and functions that we typically see in nature, but aren’t limited at all by the building blocks that Mother Nature uses.

Out of everything in your life, not necessarily just in chemistry, what are you most proud of?

In my professional life, I'm most proud of the generations of young scientists that I had the privilege to mentor, and who are now building their independent careers in industry, teaching and academia.

I'm absolutely proud of what these young people have established and how they are building their own independent careers and bringing the message to the next generation.

In my private life, I'm extremely proud of my family that have supported me all these years. As my wife Betty always says, being a scientist is a way of living and that reflects on the family. It's really wonderful; we have three daughters and how they build their own lives – I'm really grateful for that, I'm really proud of them. 

What has been your biggest challenge?

One of the biggest challenges, after we discovered the molecular motor, was definitely to put these motors on surfaces to make molecular action. That took several years, but we built a tiny windmill park, and it ultimately worked out fine. To build our nano-car and see that we could move something with a rotary motor in a translational way took 7-8 years.

I see it as a really positive thing, that you have these tough challenges, because on your way, you have to find new ways to get round a problem. That is a very steep learning curve and is very important for this whole process.

With our nano-car, we made designs that didn't work. With our rotary motors on surfaces, these tiny nano-windmills, we sometimes had designs that didn't work. You learn it stepwise, and that learning curve is an important aspect of these tremendous challenges.

What's your favourite molecule and why?

My favourite molecule is the original molecular motor, which was a milestone in my scientific career.

Another molecule I like a lot is oxygen, O₂. We breathe oxygen; it keeps us alive. In my first research project and then my PhD, I worked a lot on oxidation catalysis and dealt with oxygen. Oxygen is such a fabulous molecule. To tame oxygen is not so easy but nature has figured out how to do that and make us breathe.

Of all the places you've visited as part of your work for conferences, where would you most like to go back to for a holiday?

I don't have a lot of time for holidays, but on the other hand, with a passion for science, I feel it almost is a holiday to go to beautiful conferences, to meet my friends all over the world and discuss the new developments. I definitely would like to go back to Canada because I was once at a conference in Banff in the Rockies, and that was a gorgeous place. 

What's your favourite international cuisine from your travels?

Definitely Italian food. I also like Japanese food quite a lot; I’ve been to Japan several times. There's a lot of interesting food around the world that I can appreciate when you come from the north of Holland where food is pretty sober. 

The most unusual thing I’ve eaten is certainly fugu (a Japanese dish made from a pufferfish that can be lethally poisonous if not prepared correctly). It's absolutely gorgeous. The way that they prepare the dish is really art. It is this beautiful balance between very special natural products in chemistry and beautiful art, and a delicious taste. That combination reminds me of the unexpected experiences and challenges that you have as a scientist reflected in the food, and also the link between science and the arts. 

If you weren't a scientist, what would you be?

I most probably would be a farmer. I grew up on a farm in quite a small village in a remote area. I was always intrigued by growing crops and being on the farm and I worked a lot alongside my father, who was a very inspirational person for me at a young age. I wanted to be a farmer when I was in high school, but my father said to first study and then reconsider your options. One of my younger brothers is actually a farmer now.

I still have a big garden; we have a small meadow with a horse and I grow my own vegetables, although this year it was not such a success due to too many duties and travelling after winning the Nobel Prize.

I came back and saw this beautiful explosion of weeds. I could appreciate them but they’re not particularly suitable to serve in my kitchen!