Richard Neutze was widely respected not only for his scientific vision, which inspired generations of researchers, but also for his collaborative spirit and enthusiasm for science. At the heart of his scientific work was a deep desire to understand the chemistry of life. He leaves a lasting legacy in the international structural biology community and among the many colleagues and friends at the ESRF who worked closely with him.

A long-standing user of the ESRF, he and his group carried out pioneering work on membrane proteins using time-resolved crystallography and solution scattering at ESRF beamlines, including ID09 and the EBS flagship beamline ID29 in recent years. In 2000, during the 10th ESRF User Meeting, he was awarded the Young Scientist Award for his research covering picosecond biology, picosecond chemistry, and simulations of the potential for femtosecond X-ray imaging. Beyond his contributions at synchrotron sources, he was one of the pioneers of serial femtosecond crystallography and co-developed the groundbreaking “diffraction before destruction” concept, which transformed structural biology and opened new possibilities for studying biomolecular dynamics.

The ESRF extends its sincere condolences to his family, loved ones, collaborators, and friends.

Top image: Credit: Johan Wingborg (published on the website of the University of Gothenburg)