Two MLZ researchers honoured

Dr Theresia Heiden-Hecht and Dr Tobias Neuwirth from the Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Zentrum (MLZ) were honoured at the SNIB2026 conference in Hamburg on 10 September 2026 with awards from the Committee Research with Neutrons (KFN).

Dr Theresia Heiden-Hecht in the JCNS-Food Lab at the MLZ. © © Bernhard Ludewig, FRM II/TUM

Dr Theresia Heiden-Hecht in the JCNS-Food Lab at the MLZ. © © Bernhard Ludewig, FRM II/TUM

Physics of food

Dr Theresia Heiden-Hecht from the Jülich Centre for Neutron Science at the MLZ received the Wolfram Prandl Prize 2026 for pioneering the use of neutrons in food science. By establishing a dedicated food laboratory, she introduced a new research direction at the MLZ and JCNS of Forschungszentrum Jülich. Her interdisciplinary research bridges the gap between colloidal physics and food science, according to the jury. Theresia Heiden-Hecht focuses on emulsions and gels that form the physical foundation of many foods.

From nanoscale structures to sustainable plant-based alternatives

Through small-angle neutron scattering and neutron spin-echo spectroscopy, her research reveals structural details and tracks molecular movements. Her goal is to drive sustainable food production by harnessing overlooked proteins for plant-based alternatives, ensuring they achieve the required structure and long-term stability.

In his laudatory speech, Dr Olaf Holderer, instrument scientist at the J-NSE neutron spin echo spectrometer at the MLZ, praised her for combining fundamental physics with modern food science. He emphasised that Theresia Heiden-Hecht is a prime example of the scientific excellence the award represents, praising her for “revealing previously hidden molecular mechanisms, and their translation into a consistent, highly application-relevant physicochemical understanding.” In her speech, Theresia Heiden-Hecht thanked the entire “Sustainable food colloids group” and highlighted the collaborative efforts in academia and industry that have made this possible.

Dr Tobias Neuwirth at the imaging instrument ANTARES at the MLZ. © © Bernhard Ludewig, FRM II/ TUM

Dr Tobias Neuwirth at the imaging instrument ANTARES at the MLZ. © © Bernhard Ludewig, FRM II/ TUM

Innovations in neutron imaging

Dr Tobias Neuwirth received the KFN Instrumentation Prize 2026 for his contributions to the ANTARES imaging instrument and fundamentally advancing the technique of neutron grating interferometry. A long-standing member of the Research Neutron Source Heinz Maier-Leibnitz (FRM II) and newly appointed head of the Infrastructure Instrumentation Group, he has dedicated years to advancing the imaging instrument ANTARES, where he also contributed to the commissioning of an X-ray system that allows multimodal imaging.

Visualising the invisible

By implementing a redesigned setup at ANTARES and developing novel models for quantitative data analysis, his work systematically advanced the field of neutron grating interferometry, said Dr Michael Schulz, Deputy Scientific Director of FRM II in his laudatory speech. With this technique, researchers direct a neutron beam through a series of fine gratings to detect tiny nuclear and magnetic structures that are inaccessible to conventional neutron imaging.

These new conceptual advancements by Tobias Neuwirth make it possible, for example, to look inside an operating electric motor and visualise its internal magnetic fields. This technique is currently being advanced in a joint research project with industry partners to improve a commercially used electric vehicle motor. Michael Schulz praised Tobias Neuwirth’s “exceptional contributions to the development of methods and instruments for neutron research, their successful transfer into scientific and technological practice, and their lasting international impact”.