The Biozentrum is mourning the death of Joachim Seelig, emeritus Professor of Structural Biology and former Chairman of the Department Biozentrum. Joachim Seelig passed away on August 15, 2024, at the age of 82 years. With him, the Biozentrum has not only lost an extraordinary scientist but also one of its founding members, whose great dedication and visionary leadership left a lasting impact on the Biozentrum.
Born on March 29, 1942, in Cologne, Joachim Seelig began his academic career studying chemistry and physics at the University of Cologne. In 1968, he pursued his PhD under the supervision of Prof. Manfred Eigen at the Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry in Göttingen, where he focused on developing protein folding models. Prof. Manfred Eigen was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1967. During his postdoctoral studies in the group of Prof. Harden McConnell at Stanford University, Joachim Seelig developed a keen interest in membranes. In 1970, he joined the Institute of Physical Chemistry at the University of Basel. Two years later, he was appointed Assistant Professor of Biophysical Chemistry at the Biozentrum of the University of Basel. From 1982 until his retirement in 2012, Joachim Seelig conducted research and taught as a Full Professor of Structural Biology at the Biozentrum. From 1997 to 1999 and from 2000 to 2009, Joachim Seelig served as Chairman of the Biozentrum. During this time, he recruited more than twenty professors and, with passion and commitment, advocated for the interests of "his" Biozentrum.
Joachim Seelig was a pioneer in biophysical research. His fundamental work on the structure and thermodynamics of biological membranes earned him worldwide recognition. His pioneering developments in electron spin resonance and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy provided crucial insights into protein-lipid interactions. He was also one of the first scientists to recognize the medical potential of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). He established Switzerland's first university MRI center and played a key role in introducing this technology to hospitals in Basel, thus paving the way for significant advancements in medical diagnostics. Science had been a lifelong passion of Joachim Seelig. In the past three years, he and his wife, Prof. Anna Seelig, published four papers and one review on the thermodynamics of protein unfolding.
Joachim Seelig was an exceptional researcher, who published over 250 scientific articles and received numerous awards for his outstanding scientific contributions, including the Cloëtta Prize, the Bijvoet Medal from Utrecht University and the Julian Sturtevant Award for Outstanding Contributions to Experimental Thermodynamics. He was also a member of the Academia Europaea, the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO).
As a member of the Research Council of the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF), Joachim Seelig played a pivotal role in shaping the Swiss research landscape, and he was also particularly committed to supporting young scientists. In 1991, for example, he launched the highly successful “Marie Heim-Vögtlin Programme” with the aim of supporting female scientists to get back to research after family-related career breaks. He also served as President of the Swiss Foundation for Excellence and Talent in Biomedical Research and, with the generous support of the Werner Siemens Foundation, established the renowned Biozentrum PhD Fellowships Program.
Together with Professor Gian-Reto Plattner, he initiated the founding of ETH Zurich in Basel (D-BSSE). As a member of the "Life Sciences Commission" of the Basel Chamber of Commerce, where he served until 2017, he advocated for close collaboration between academia and industry. He made a decisive contribution to the Basel region being selected as the site of a Swiss Innovation Park. Thanks to his connections to the Werner Siemens Foundation, he successfully raised the financial resources to establish today's Department of Biomedical Engineering within the Innovation Park. As a board member of the “Schweizer Innovationspark Region Nordwestschweiz” association and head of the i-net Basel innovation network, Joachim Seelig also promoted Basel as a life sciences hub.
With the passing of Joachim Seelig, the Biozentrum has lost an extraordinary personality, a passionate researcher, and a role model in science. His dedication and diplomatic skills were instrumental in advancing the Biozentrum and bringing it worldwide recognition. Joachim Seelig's commitment, visionary spirit, and deep sense of humanity will be deeply missed. We will remember him with gratitude, and his legacy will continue to inspire us.
We join his family in mourning and will hold his memory in great honor. The memorial ceremony will take place on Tuesday, August 27, 2024, at 3 pm in the Predigerkirche in Basel.
Contact: Communications