Ullyot Lecture and Award: Ben Feringa

The 2026 Ullyot Public Affairs Lecture and Award features Nobel laureate Ben Feringa. A Q&A session and the presentation of the Liberty Bowl follows Feringa’s lecture.

The Art of Building Small
Exploring the current frontiers of chemical sciences, there is uncharted territory in experiencing the joy of discovery. Far beyond nature’s design, the creative power of synthetic chemistry provides unlimited opportunities to realize our own molecular world as we experience every day with products ranging from drugs to displays that sustain modern society. In their practice of the “art of building small,” chemists and other scientists have shown amazing success in the past decades, producing the materials for everyday life, including our pharmaceuticals, cars, and smart phones. At the dawn of the next revolution in synthetic chemistry and nanotechnology, there is the promise to go far beyond our current frontiers. Our research program is focused on synthesis and molecular nanoscience building tiny motors and machines.

An essential feature of life is motion, which is evident from the fact that we can walk, talk, see, and reproduce. Moving from static molecules and materials to dynamic molecular systems, the fundamental challenge is how to control and exploit motion at the nanoscale.  

In this presentation, Ben Feringa will focus on his journey in the world of molecular nanoscience, designing molecular machines, which are one billionth of a meter in size. Science or science fiction? How did he pave the way to Stockholm? In particular, he will discuss the synthesis and functioning of molecular switches and motors, as well as applications such as smart medicines and responsive materials and artificial muscles. The process of discovery, the art of building small, and the adventure to control motion at the molecular level will also be presented. Feringa will address how fundamental questions, serendipity, and molecular beauty have guided him on this journey.