Chemistry’s Role in Environmental Solutions

Please join the Hertz Foundation for our fall 2026 Innovation Hour, “Chemistry’s Role in Environmental Solutions,” featuring Hertz Fellows Julius Lucks and Mahesh Mahanthappa. Coming on the heels of the American Chemical Society’s National Chemistry Week, this session keeps that spirit going by spotlighting two Fellows whose work puts chemistry to work solving real problems.

Through two short talks and a moderated discussion facilitated by Hertz Fellow Kurtis Carsch, Lucks and Mahanthappa will take us from fundamental chemistry to real-world impact, exploring how new biosensing technology can detect contaminants hiding in our environment, and how next-generation materials science is creating the chemicals that will allow us to tackle some of today’s toughest challenges, from clean water to sustainable manufacturing.

Talk Highlights

• Julius Lucks will share the scientific journey behind ROSALIND, his lab’s cell-free biosensing platform that lets anyone, anywhere detect environmental contaminants. He’ll also touch on where this work is headed next, including his new DREAM Lab, a national facility using AI and automation to rapidly design and test custom proteins.
• Mahesh Mahanthappa will describe his lab’s work on advanced membranes, using polymerizable soap molecules (“amphiphiles”) to build materials with applications ranging from water purification and fuel cells to critical mineral separation and protective equipment for first responders.
• Following the talks, both speakers will join Carsch for a moderated conversation on translating scientific breakthroughs into real-world solutions, and the challenges of communicating that work to the public, before opening the floor to audience Q&A.

If you have questions, please contact Aleza Stein, Community Program Manager, at aleza@hertzfoundation.org.