Research

Bernhard Kräutler has made important contributions to the field of Organic Chemistry. Since 1991 he is at the Institute of Organic Chemistry of the University of Innsbruck, where he has been head for many years. He helped to found and build up the Centre of Molecular Biosciences in Innsbruck, whose head he currently is. He is a world leader and pioneer in the elucidation of natural chlorophyll breakdown, contributed with important work in the area of biological chemistry of vitamin B12, and is also known for groundbreaking work on the chemistry of fullerenes and symmetrical porphyrins. He has generated important basic knowledge on the chemistry and biological roles of porphyrinoid natural products (e. g. chlorophyll, vitamin B12, heme, etc.). He is a leading figure in experimental studies, whose aim it is to clarify the physiological relevance of products of chlorophyll breakdown in plants, as well as in mammals and humans.

Career

• 2008 Head of the Institute of Organic Chemistry at the University of Innsbruck, Austria
• 2004-2006 Dean of the Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacy at the University of Innsbruck, Austria
• 2001-2004 Head of the Institute of Organic Chemistry at the University of Innsbruck, Austria
• since 1993 Professor of Organic Chemistry at the Institute of Organic Chemistry of the University of Innsbruck, Austria
• 1993-1997 Head of the Institute of Organic Chemistry at the University of Innsbruck, Austria
• 1991-1993 Professor of Organic Chemistry at the Institute of Organic and Pharmaceutical Chemistry of the University of Innsbruck, Austria
• 1985 Visiting Associate Professor at the University of Illinois in Urbana, USA
• 1985 Habilitation at the Swiss Federal Intitute of Technology (ETH), Zurich, Austria
• 1971-1976 Graduate studies and dissertation at the ETH, Zurich, Austria
• 1966-1970 Studies at the Department of Chemistry, ETH, Zurich; diploma in chemistry

Functions

• seit 2002 Austrian Representative International Society of Porphyrins and Phthalocyanines
• 2001-2002 President, Austrian Chemical Society
• 1999-2000 President, Austrian Chemical Society
• 1997/1998 Member of the Board, Society of the Natural Sciences and of Medicine, Innsbruck, Austria
• 1994-1998 Vice President, Austrian Chemical Society
• 1992-1994 Member of the Board, Austrian Chemical Society

Honours and Memberships

• since 2009 Full member of the Austrian Academy of Sciences
• since 2006 Member of the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina
• 2005 Joseph Loschmidt Medal of the Austrian Chemical Society
• since 2004 Member of the European Academy of Sciences
• 2001 Erwin Schrödinger Award of the Austrian Academy of Sciences
• 1999-2009 Corresponding member of the Austrian Academy of Sciences
• 1996 Ernst-Späth-Award of the Austrian Academy of Sciences
• 1987 Werner‐Award of the Swiss Chemical Society
• 1977 Silver medal of the ETH, Zurich, Switzerland