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At BASF, we are proud of our scientists. They drive innovations and help us change the world we live in for the better. Our innovation strength is based on our global team of about 10,000 qualified employees with various scientific specializations. Have a look behind the scenes of BASF R&D and get to know our experts who create chemistry for a sustainable future.

Florina Corina Patcas

What catalysts and dating portals have in common

Without them, neither photosynthesis nor respiration nor energy production from food would be possible: catalysts. In the form of enzymes, they enable almost all vital chemical reactions in living organisms. They also clean the exhaust fumes of our cars. Catalysts are also irreplaceable for the production of many chemical products. But to this day, catalysts pose many questions to science, because little is known about the details of how they work. Florina Corina Patcas has been researching catalysts for 25 years and is deciphering their secrets piece by piece.

Stefan Lamotte

Researching for the "man on the moon" moment

What holds the world together at its core? Even as a child, Stefan Lamotte was fascinated by finding out what was behind things. His curiosity led him to pursue a doctorate in chromatography, a chemical analysis method used to separate and precisely determine the individual components of mixtures of substances. This is how he finds answers to why something works the way it does – and today, as an expert in analysis, he and his team ensure the quality of various BASF products.

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Samantha Gee

Pushing the green envelope

Her love of math and science naturally led Samantha to follow in her father’s footsteps and study chemical engineering. Today she is always on the lookout for new ways to reduce the CO₂footprint of different products.

Soeryapranata leads the Quality and Nutritional Analytics team at BASF’s laboratory in Davis, California.

Elly Soreyapranata

A non-molecular approach to improve the quality of food

Originally from Indonesia, Elly Soreyapranata traveled to the U.S. to specialize in food science. Today, she works at BASF to improve the taste, nutrient content and shelf life of carrots, watermelons and onions – without changing seeds or DNA, but purely with the fruit or vegetables themselves.

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Padma Prabodh Varanasi

Industrial Formulators: the chemistry of the unseen

He is able to control how much foam a detergent forms or how quickly cement dries: Padma Prabodh Varanasi develops and tests industrial formulators – special ingredients that determine the properties of a product.

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Melissa Scranton

Enzymes: a powerful yet silent ally to sustainability

Melissa Scranton and her team at the BASF research and development lab in San Diego are working towards more sustainable products. Who are their allies in doing so? Enzymes.