Roman Kaiser
Encyclopedia
Roman Kaiser is a Swiss fragrance chemist. Since 1968 he has been working at Givaudan
, the world's largest company in the Flavor and Fragrance Industry, where he analyzes and reconstitutes natural scents for use in perfumery using the headspace technology
which he pioneered and which as a new concept made significant impact on the analysis
of natural products.
studies at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences
(Switzerland
) he joined the research center
of Givaudan
in Dübendorf
near Zürich
in 1968, and since then has been working as a fragrance chemist
in this company. His main research activity centers around the study and the reconstitution of the scents of nature
, and the search for as well as the synthesis
of new odorants isolated from nature. For this purpose, he has since 1975 applied the headspace technology
which leaves the plant
and its flowers intact by analyzing the surrounding air with the help of gas chromatography. He is considered one of the pioneers of this method, and many of the accords reconstituted by him have found use in internationally renowned fragrances. In recognition of his many scientific contributions, he received a honorary degree
from the ETH Zurich
in November, 1995. His recent work was more focussed on the plants of the canopy and understory layers of tropical rainforests, and on the reconstitution of scents of endangered plant species.
s, and led to about 25 patent
s. He has so far also published 2 books, a third book on “Vanishing Flora – Lost Chemistry” is upcoming:
Givaudan
Givaudan is a Swiss manufacturer of flavorings and fragrances. As of 2008, it is the world's largest company in the industry.-Background:The company's scents and flavors are developed most often for food and beverage makers, but they are also used frequently in household goods, as well as grooming...
, the world's largest company in the Flavor and Fragrance Industry, where he analyzes and reconstitutes natural scents for use in perfumery using the headspace technology
Headspace technology
Headspace technology is a technique developed in the 1980s to elucidate the odor compounds present in the air surrounding various objects. Usually the objects of interest are odoriferous objects such as plants, flowers and foods. Similar techniques are also used to analyze the interesting scents...
which he pioneered and which as a new concept made significant impact on the analysis
Analysis
Analysis is the process of breaking a complex topic or substance into smaller parts to gain a better understanding of it. The technique has been applied in the study of mathematics and logic since before Aristotle , though analysis as a formal concept is a relatively recent development.The word is...
of natural products.
Career
Following his chemistryChemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
studies at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences
Zurich University of Applied Sciences
The Zurich University of Applied Sciences , located in the city of Winterthur, with facilities in Zurich and Wädenswil, is the second largest University in Switzerland after the University of Zurich.* University of Zurich: around 25000 Students...
(Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
) he joined the research center
Research center
A research center is a facility or building dedicated to research, commonly with the focus on a specific area. There are over 14,000 research centers in the United States...
of Givaudan
Givaudan
Givaudan is a Swiss manufacturer of flavorings and fragrances. As of 2008, it is the world's largest company in the industry.-Background:The company's scents and flavors are developed most often for food and beverage makers, but they are also used frequently in household goods, as well as grooming...
in Dübendorf
Dübendorf
Dübendorf is a municipality in the district of Uster in the canton of Zürich in Switzerland.It is a suburb of Zürich in Switzerland with a population of about 23,000 . It is the fourth largest city in the canton, after Zürich, Winterthur, and Uster.-History:Dübendorf is first mentioned in 946 as...
near Zürich
Zürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
in 1968, and since then has been working as a fragrance chemist
Chemist
A chemist is a scientist trained in the study of chemistry. Chemists study the composition of matter and its properties such as density and acidity. Chemists carefully describe the properties they study in terms of quantities, with detail on the level of molecules and their component atoms...
in this company. His main research activity centers around the study and the reconstitution of the scents of nature
Nature
Nature, in the broadest sense, is equivalent to the natural world, physical world, or material world. "Nature" refers to the phenomena of the physical world, and also to life in general...
, and the search for as well as the synthesis
Organic synthesis
Organic synthesis is a special branch of chemical synthesis and is concerned with the construction of organic compounds via organic reactions. Organic molecules can often contain a higher level of complexity compared to purely inorganic compounds, so the synthesis of organic compounds has...
of new odorants isolated from nature. For this purpose, he has since 1975 applied the headspace technology
Headspace technology
Headspace technology is a technique developed in the 1980s to elucidate the odor compounds present in the air surrounding various objects. Usually the objects of interest are odoriferous objects such as plants, flowers and foods. Similar techniques are also used to analyze the interesting scents...
which leaves the plant
Plant
Plants are living organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae. Precise definitions of the kingdom vary, but as the term is used here, plants include familiar organisms such as trees, flowers, herbs, bushes, grasses, vines, ferns, mosses, and green algae. The group is also called green plants or...
and its flowers intact by analyzing the surrounding air with the help of gas chromatography. He is considered one of the pioneers of this method, and many of the accords reconstituted by him have found use in internationally renowned fragrances. In recognition of his many scientific contributions, he received a honorary degree
Honorary degree
An honorary degree or a degree honoris causa is an academic degree for which a university has waived the usual requirements, such as matriculation, residence, study, and the passing of examinations...
from the ETH Zurich
ETH Zurich
The Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich or ETH Zürich is an engineering, science, technology, mathematics and management university in the City of Zurich, Switzerland....
in November, 1995. His recent work was more focussed on the plants of the canopy and understory layers of tropical rainforests, and on the reconstitution of scents of endangered plant species.
Publications
The results of his research have been documented in over 30 research articles in academic journalAcademic journal
An academic journal is a peer-reviewed periodical in which scholarship relating to a particular academic discipline is published. Academic journals serve as forums for the introduction and presentation for scrutiny of new research, and the critique of existing research...
s, and led to about 25 patent
Patent
A patent is a form of intellectual property. It consists of a set of exclusive rights granted by a sovereign state to an inventor or their assignee for a limited period of time in exchange for the public disclosure of an invention....
s. He has so far also published 2 books, a third book on “Vanishing Flora – Lost Chemistry” is upcoming:
- R. Kaiser, The Scent of Orchids – Olfactory and Chemical Investigations, Elsvier, Amsterdam, 1993, ISBN 978-0444898418, 260 pages (incl. biographical sketch, English).
- R. Kaiser, Meaningful Scents around the World. Olfactory, Chemical, Biological and Cultural Considerations, Verlag Helvetica Chimica Acta, Zürich, and WILEY-VCH, Weinheim, 2006, ISBN 978-3-906390-37-6, 304 pages.
- R. Kaiser, Scent of the Vanishing Flora, Verlag Helvetica Chimica Acta, Zürich, and Wiley-VCH, Weinheim, November 2010, ISBN 13: 978-3-906390-64-2, 400 pages.