Nobel Prize winner Omar Yaghi at the University of Bologna: from CO₂ capture to extracting water from air, science for humanity

Omar Yaghi, recipient of the 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, visited the University of Bologna today for a day dedicated to the new frontiers of chemistry and the major challenges of our time, including the climate crisis, energy and resource scarcity, with a focus on building a more sustainable planet.

“Science is a shared human effort, not something limited by borders, wealth, or nationality. It means discovering knowledge with the world, for the world,” said Professor Yaghi.

“Science can reduce global inequalities when it is treated not only as discovery, but as a shared capacity: the ability of all countries and communities to define problems, produce knowledge, use technology and benefit from innovation.”

Professor Yaghi is internationally recognised for founding reticular chemistry, an approach that enables the design of new crystalline materials, such as MOFs (Metal-Organic Frameworks), with unprecedented precision at the nanometre scale (one billionth of a metre). These “molecular sponges” are capable of capturing and storing greenhouse gases or extracting drinking water from the air, opening up new possibilities for access to essential resources.

“For a scientist today, having a ‘global mind’ means asking questions that matter to the world, working with people from different cultures and disciplines, and making sure discoveries benefit more than just a few powerful countries or institutions,” Yaghi explained. “A scientist with a global mind thinks about access, ethics, climate, health, inequality and the long-term effects of their work.”

Capturing carbon directly from the air is emerging as one of the most promising approaches to tackling climate change. Combined with the possibility of extracting drinking water from the atmosphere, even in the driest regions of the world, these advances offer tangible solutions to global challenges, with direct benefits for people’s lives.

“Professor Yaghi’s visit confirms the University of Bologna’s commitment to advanced international research for sustainable development,” said Alberto Credi, Professor of Chemistry and former Deputy Rector at the University of Bologna.

His personal and professional journey also highlights the role of research as a tool for growth and opportunity. Born in Jordan to a family of Palestinian refugees and raised in a refugee camp in Amman, he moved to the United States at the age of 15. Today, he is Professor at the University of California, Berkeley and one of the most highly cited chemists in the world. In 2025, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry together with Susumu Kitagawa and Richard Robson.

He also directs the Berkeley Global Science Institute, which is committed to establishing research centres in developing countries and training new scientific talent worldwide.

His connection with Italy is reflected in the 2024 Balzan Prize, presented by Sergio Mattarella, and in his election as a foreign member of the Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei in 2025.

At the University of Bologna, he delivered a lecture entitled A Global Mind for Discovery for secondary school students and met with the scientific community during the workshop Precision Chemistry for a Sustainable Planet, which explored the role of precision chemistry in addressing challenges related to water, energy and climate.

The initiative is organised through the collaboration of the Departments of Industrial Chemistry “Toso Montanari”, Chemistry “Giacomo Ciamician”, Pharmacy and Biotechnology, and Agricultural and Food Sciences.