REGISTRATION
ABOUT THE COURSE
Our universe is full of molecules, from the simplest – molecular hydrogen – all the way up to the complex molecular structures essential to the chemistry of life on Earth. A large and diverse array of chemical species has been detected not only on planets but in interstellar clouds, in regions of star formation, in protoplanetary disks, and in comets and meteorites within the solar system. But how and when was all this material formed, and how does it evolve over time? How much molecular content is inherited from one stage of star and planet formation to the next? What role does the chemistry of the universe through cosmic time play in the origins of life? A major unanswered question remains whether the molecules essential to life were produced on the early Earth (endogenous origin), or whether they were produced in the parent interstellar medium or planet-forming disk and delivered to Earth via asteroids, comets and their meteoritic remains (exogenous origin).
This lecture course will be devoted to astrochemistry and the exploration of topics related to the chemical origins of life. In 18 lectures from the world-leading experts, we will discuss the history of the early molecular universe starting from the Big Bang; environmental conditions and key physico-chemical processes in space; astronomical observations (from ground to space) of objects of astrochemical interest; chemical models describing astrophysical environments and their reaction networks; key laboratory techniques and approaches for studying astrochemical processes; chemistry in specific environments, such as the interstellar medium, protoplanetary disks, and atmospheres of (exo)planets; exogenous synthesis and delivery of biomolecule precursors; and, finally, evolution of these precursors on the early Earth.
GALS is aimed at providing a broad overview of scientific issues, problems, achievements, and open questions in astrochemistry; and at helping senior undergraduate and postgraduate students as well as early career scientists to expand their interests and develop a firm understanding of this area, sufficient to choose an appropriate direction for their future career. The course is open to students and scientists from all over the world, but the organizers reserve the right to be selective in terms of access and to limit the total number of participants.
In the coming years, GALS will consist of two parts: 14 core lectures and 4 special lectures. There will be a new topic for special lectures every year. For the coming semester, we have chosen "Ices".
LECTURERS
- Chris Arumainayagam, Wellesley College, USA
- Edwin Bergin, University of Michigan, USA
- Jennifer Bergner, University of California Berkeley, USA
- Eleonora Bianchi, INAF-Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri, Italy
- Dieter Braun, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Germany
- Wendy Brown, University of Sussex, UK
- Herma Cuppen, Radboud University, The Netherlands
- Robin Garrod, University of Virginia, USA
- Wolf Geppert, Stockholm University, Sweden
- Martin McCoustra, Heriot-Watt University, Scotland
- Paul Molliere, Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, Germany
- Alexey Potapov, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Germany
- Sean Raymond, University of Bordeaux, France
- Martin Rubin, University of Bern, Switzerland
- Barbara Ryden, The Ohio State University, USA
- Dima Semenov, University of Heidelberg, Germany
- Alexander Tielens, University of Maryland, USA
- Catherine Walsh, University of Leeds, UK
COURSE PROGRAM
Alexey Potapov, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Germany
03.02.2026 at 15:00 CET
Big Bang and formation of the elements
Barbara Ryden, The Ohio State University, USA
06.02.2026 at 15:00 CET
Environmental conditions in space
Alexander Tielens, University of Maryland, USA
09.02.2026 at 16:00 CET
Origin of planetary systems
Sean Raymond, University of Bordeaux, France
12.02.2026 at 16:00 CET
Spectroscopy of Ices
Wendy Brown, University of Sussex, UK
16.02.2026 at 15:00 CET
Astrochemical observations
Edwin Bergin, University of Michigan, USA
20.02.2026 at 15:00 CET
Observations of Ices
Jennifer Bergner, University of California Berkeley, USA
23.02.2026 at 16:00 CET
Chemistry in the interstellar medium
Eleonora Bianchi, INAF-Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri, Italy
27.02.2026 at 15:00 CET
Laboratory astrochemistry. Gas-phase processes
Wolf Geppert, Stockholm University, Sweden
03.03.2026 at 15:00 CET
Laboratory astrochemistry. Solid-state processes
Martin McCoustra, Heriot-Watt University, Scotland
06.03.2026 at 15:00 CET
ISM astrochemical modelling
Robin Garrod, University of Virginia, USA
09.03.2026 at 15:00 CET
Formation of Ices
Herma Cuppen, Radboud University, The Netherlands
12.03.2026 at 15:00 CET
Chemistry in protoplanetary disks
Catherine Walsh, University of Leeds, UK
16.03.2026 at 15:00 CET
Processing of Ices
Chris Arumainayagam, Wellesley College, USA
20.03.2026 at 15:00 CET
Chemistry in (exo)planet atmospheres
Paul Molliere, Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, Germany
24.03.2026 at 16:00 CET
Composition of cometary ices and implications for our Solar System
Martin Rubin, University of Bern, Switzerland
27.03.2026 at 16:00 CET
Exogenous synthesis of biomolecule precursors
Dima Semenov, University of Heidelberg, Germany
31.03.2026 at 15:00 CET
The Origins of Biochemistry and Life
Dieter Braun, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Germany
02.04.2026 at 15:00 CET