Adelio Matamala Rossel Defends Undergraduate Thesis on RuBisCO Selectivity

We congratulate Adelio Matamala Rossel on the successful defense of his biochemistry undergraduate thesis, titled “Cambios en la selectividad de ribulosa 1,5-bifosfato carboxilasa oxigenasa (RuBisCO) mediante simulaciones de dinámica molecular” under the direction of Prof. Esteban Vöhringer-Martinez. Congrats Adelio!

Dr. Namrata Rani’s Research Tour in India Strengthens Astrochemistry Collaborations

Dr. Namrata Rani toured India, presenting her work on interstellar reaction mechanisms at major institutions and the ASI Conference. She engaged in research talks, outreach activities, and collaborations, strengthening ties between theoretical and experimental astrochemistry.

QCMM Research Featured in International Women’s Day 2025 Collection

A recent QCMM research paper, co-authored by Dr. Giulia M. Bovolenta and Gabriela Silva-Vera, has been featured in the International Women’s Day 2025 Collection by PCCP. The study, based on Dr. Bovolenta’s PhD thesis, explores catalytic sites on amorphous solid water for the formation of aminomethanol, a key interstellar molecule. Dr. Bovolenta, now a postdoctoral researcher at the Italian Institute of Technology, and Silva-Vera’s contributions highlight the role of women in computational astrochemistry.

Prof. Stefan Vogt-Geisse Completes Productive Research Stay at the University of Leeds

Prof. Stefan Vogt-Geisse completed a six-month research stay at the University of Leeds, collaborating with Dr. Catherine Walsh to integrate high-quality binding energy data into world-leading astrochemical models of protoplanetary disks. His stay led to new collaborations and the finalization of an updated Binding Energy Evaluation Platform (BEEP), now available on GitHub, providing a valuable tool for astrochemistry research.

Methyl formate synthesis via SNAcyl esterification on interstellar ice mantles

Bovolenta, G. M.; Vogt-Geisse, S. J Mol Model 2025, 31 (3), 104

Gabriela Silva Presents her Research in the IV Chilean Astrochemistry School

Gabriela Silva attended the IV Chilean Astrochemistry School at Universidad Autónoma de Chile, where she presented her research on interstellar amide formation. The event allowed her to engage with leading astrochemists, fostering discussions and potential collaborations.

Prof. Paul Ayers and Dr. Farnaz Heidar-Zadeh Visit for Research Exchange and Seminar

Professors Paul W. Ayers and Farnaz Heidar-Zadeh visited Prof. Esteban Vöhringer-Martinez’s lab at Universidad de Concepción for two weeks. They collaborated on quantum chemistry software and multireference techniques, presented a seminar on electronic structure advancements, and strengthened global research ties.

Juan Garcés Conducts Research at Rennes Institute of Chemical Sciences with France Excellence Chile Award

Juan Garcés, from the Vogt-Geisse Lab, is conducting research on ring-opening polymerization at the Rennes Institute of Chemical Sciences, focusing on biodegradable plastics and catalyst design. His work integrates theoretical and experimental approaches to advance polymer synthesis.

Dr. Namrata Rani Presents at the XIX SOCHIAS Meeting in Arica, Chile

Dr. Namrata Rani presented her research on thioacetaldehyde synthesis in the interstellar medium at the XIX SOCHIAS Meeting in Arica, Chile, showcasing its viability for future detection. Her talk resulted in discussions, fostering new collaborations with the Chilean astronomy community.

Prof. Rodrigo Recabarren Completes Research Stay at the University of Oxford

Prof. Rodrigo Recabarren conducted a one-month research stay at the University of Oxford, focusing on supramolecular catalyst simulations for the Diels-Alder reaction. He also visited the University of Bristol, gaining insights into virtual reality techniques for molecular simulation. This collaboration enhances the QCMM research group by integrating new computational tools for catalyst design and reaction modeling.

Pathways to Interstellar Amides via Carbamoyl (NH2CO) Isomers by Radical-Neutral Reactions on Ice Grain Mantles

Silva-Vera, G.; Bovolenta, G. M.; Rani, N.; Vera, S.; Vogt-Geisse, S. ACS Earth Space Chem. 2024, 8 (7), 1480–1494.

In-depth exploration of catalytic sites on amorphous solid water: I. The astrosynthesis of aminomethanol

Bovolenta, G. M.; Silva-Vera, G.; Bovino, S.; Molpeceres, G.; Kästner, J.; Vogt-Geisse, S. Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2024,26, 18692-18706

The Astrochemistry Low-energy Electron Cross-Section (ALeCS) database

Brandt Gaches, A. L.; Grassi, T.; Vogt-Geisse, S.; Giulia Bovolenta, M.; Vallance, C.; Heathcote, D.; Padovani, M.; Bovino, S.; Gorai, P. A&A, 684, A41 (2024)

Chapter 4 – Chemistry on Interstellar Dust Grains. In Astrochemical Modeling

Shingledecker, C. N.; Vogt-Geisse, S.; Mifsud, D. V.; Ioppolo, S. ; Bovino, S., Grassi, T., Eds.; Elsevier, 2024; pp 71–115.

QCMM-2022 Photos!

October 27th-28th, 2022

Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile

QCMM 2022 Photos

QCMM-2022 Concepción Information

October 27th-28th, 2022

Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile

Useful Information about Concepción

QCMM-2022 Symposium Program

October 27th-28th, 2022

Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile

Scientific Program

New PhD in the QCMM: Dr. Duvan Gonzalez

QCMM-2022 Symposium

October 27th-28th, 2022

Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile

First Announcement

Our PhD student Giulia Bovolenta offered a Latex mini course for the UdeC summer school

The course was in the context of the annual summer school of Universidad de Concepción, this year with the theme “Horizonte de lo Humano”.  The course focused on using Latex together with Overleaf and included topics such as latex history, basic syntax  and graphics.

Dr. Stefan Vogt-Geisse and Giulia Bovolenta had a successful participation in the Chemistry in Star Forming Regions conference in Torino/Italy

Giulia presented a poster with the title: High level ab initio binding energies of Molecules on interstellar ices, and Stefan gave a talk about the new Binding Energy Evaluation Platform (BEEP).

A new edition of our summer course “Introduction to Python Programing” was finished with great success.