NMR Instruments | Extraordinary Achievements in NMR

Tony Keller Recognized for Extraordinary Achievements in NMR with the Otto-Stern Award by the German Chemical Society

Dr. Tony Keller, a pioneer in the field of NMR and a key contributor to the creation and success of Bruker BioSpin, is the first recipient of the Otto Stern Prize presented by the German Chemical Society (GDCH) at the 42nd FGMR Annual Meeting

GOETTINGEN, Germany – September 27, 2021 – Dr. Tony Keller, a pioneer in the field of NMR and a key contributor to the creation and success of Bruker BioSpin, is the first recipient of the Otto Stern Prize presented by the German Chemical Society (GDCH) at the 42nd FGMR Annual Meeting. This prize is awarded in recognition of Dr. Keller’s exemplary achievements and longstanding contributions in the field of magnetic resonance.

Tony Keller’s interest in industrial electronics started during his early career in the military where he was assigned to a newly created unit for early warning radar systems. His first introduction to NMR came in 1960 when an officer in his company told him about a new technology similar to radar but on an atomic scale. This sounded increasingly interesting to Dr. Keller who started to imagine all the relevant applications this technology could utilize in chemistry.

While working in a small team of only four people at Trüb Täuber AG in Zurich Switzerland in 1965, his division was acquired by a newly founded company – Spectrospin AG, part of Bruker. This began Dr. Keller’s long relationship with Bruker where Dr. Keller was instrumental in the formation of Bruker as a key player in the NMR market and was the driving force behind Bruker’s establishment in North America. He also held many integral positions within Bruker throughout the years including Managing Director of Bruker Analytik GmbH in 1978, the biggest of the Bruker operations at the time, and is still a Vice Chairman of the board of Bruker BioSpin AG.

After many years, countless patents, and several awards, Tony Keller is credited with the development of the world's first multinuclear, proton decoupled, Fourier transform NMR spectrometer. He also was the first to record ¹³C observe ¹H broadband decoupling in Fourier-transform mode, which at the time was considered by many to be impossible. Dr. Keller was a visionary in that he saw the need for new technologies such as superconducting magnets, digital spectrometers, cryogenically cooled probes, and high field NMR as well as more accessible NMR and automation, increasing output and bringing NMR to more researchers.

Tony Keller (19.09.2021)

Tony Keller with his two children at one of the first NMR spectrometers

Carbon FT-NMR spectrum presented by Dr. Tony Keller in 1969 at the Pacific Conference on Chemistry and Spectroscopy in Anaheim

Dr. Falko Busse, President of the Bruker BioSpin Group

There’s no one more deserving of this first ever Otto-Stern award for contributions to the field of NMR than Dr. Tony Keller. Without Tony’s awe-inspiring intellect, thirst for knowledge, and keen business sense, Bruker would have had a very different history. On behalf of Bruker, I’d like to thank Tony for his contribution to not only the science of NMR but for his dedication to the company and to our customers.”

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