On April 24th 2026, the MetRaZymes project presented its research to the public at the long night of science 2026 at BOKU University Vienna. This biennial event draws thousands of visitors to explore Austria’s scientific institutions through over 3.000 events happening across the country in one night.
Given the complexity of the scientific field, the team chose an artistic approach to make the work accessible. MetRaZymes is a European MSCA Doctoral Network focused on metal-containing radical enzymes.
These biocatalysts have the potential to enable more sustainable chemical processes in the pharmaceutical, chemical and polymer industries. The doctoral candidates work on the design and development of artificial and repurposed metalloenzymes for radical reactions, combining methods from computational biology, bioinorganic chemistry, polymer chemistry and bioprocess engineering.
For the public event, the researchers collaborated with artists to create the ARTzymes exhibition. Through prints, visual interpretations and installations – including artistic renderings of laboratory techniques such as Thin Layer Chromatography together with portraits of the scientists – complex topics such as artificial metalloenzymes, radical chemistry and bio-inspired catalysis were translated into visual and tangible forms. The exhibition allowed visitors of different ages and backgrounds to gain insights into current research on sustainable biocatalysis and to meet the early-career scientists behind the project. It demonstrated one way in which art can serve as a bridge between specialised laboratory research and a broader audience. This video documents the presentation of the MetRaZymes project during the Long Night of Research at BOKU Vienna.
Check out the video about it!