Georges Van Binst (1934-2024)

Professor Georges Van Binst (1934–2024) passed away on November 14th, 2024, at the age of 90. Georges Van Binst studied chemistry at the Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) and obtained his PhD in 1959, under the supervision of Prof. R. H. Martin at the same university. Originally a French-speaking institution, ULB gradually became bilingual (French/Dutch) and was renamed ULB-VUB (Université Libre de Bruxelles – Vrije Universiteit Brussel). At that time, the university decided to introduce a Dutch-speaking chemistry curriculum. Georges Van Binst was appointed chemistry professor in 1965 and was responsible for organizing the organic chemistry education and research for the Dutch-speaking curriculum. He established a new organic chemistry research group, focusing on the synthesis of azaheterocyclic compounds. He was already deeply interested in organic structural determination methods, including nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and mass spectrometry, which were in rapid development at the time.

Following the split of ULB-VUB into two independent universities in 1969–1970, significant research funds became available. Georges recognized the enormous potential of the then relatively new pulse-Fourier transform NMR method and acquired a 270 MHz superconducting NMR instrument, the second of its kind in the world (the first was installed at Oxford University). In 1983, he also acquired a 500 MHz instrument. By this time, his research focus had shifted to peptide chemistry and conformational analysis, a field that greatly benefited from the sabbatical stay of Professor Victor Hruby at VUB. He became a leading authority in the conformational study of cyclic somatostatin analogs.

Georges Van Binst pioneered peptide and peptidomimetic research in Belgium. He was one of the selected Belgian participants in the early EPS meetings and later became the Belgian representative on the EPS Council. He initiated a series of Peptidomimetic meetings in Spa (Belgium), which attracted participants from around the world. In 1983, he organised the prestigious Solvay Conference on Design an Synthesis of Organic Molecules based on Molecular Recognition. On the picture, one can recognize the two future Nobel Prize winners K. Wüthrich and J.M Lehn, as well as many well known (then young) peptide chemists.

In addition to his scientific achievements, Georges Van Binst held important management responsibilities. He was the dean of the Faculty of Sciences and vice-chancellor of the University Research Council. As a result, he played a key role in the development of a new campus for the VUB when it moved from the Solbosch campus to the Oefenplein campus. For many years, he was actively involved in the scientific board of the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO-V).

Professor Van Binst’s teaching and research legacy (especially in the fields of peptides and peptidomimetic chemistry) continues to live on since his retirement at the VUB, through Professor Dirk Tourwé and currently through Professor Steven Ballet, as well as in the work of many of his former students. He will be remembered by many of us as a stimulating mentor and a kind person.

Contributed by Dirk Tourwé and Steven Ballet