(
) The Francqui Prize for Exact Sciences has been awarded to Professor Veronique Van Speybroeck of Ghent University. She has made groundbreaking contributions to the computer modeling of catalysis, which is essential for most chemical processes.
Catalysis, where a specific substance - the catalyst - speeds up a chemical process without being used up itself, is involved in many of the chemical processes that we encounter every day, from washing clothes with detergents to purifying air and water to transforming crude oil into useful materials. Finding catalysts and the optimal operating conditions has traditionally been no more than educated guesswork. ...
