The EuCheMS Lecture, to be delivered by Dieter Seebach on Monday 28 August, forms part of the Congress symposium ‘New Frontiers in Medicinal Chemistry’, which is dedicated to the memory of Professor Pierre Potier. After a brief description of the preparation of beta-amino acids and of the synthesis of beta-peptides, Dieter Seebach’s Lecture will mainly deal with the design of secondary structures and with the results of biological investigations. The 1st European Chemistry Congress, promoted by the European Association for Chemical and Molecular Sciences and the first event of its kind, will bring together chemical scientists from industry and academia and provide an international forum for presentation and discussion of frontier research in all aspects of chemical sciences. Dieter Seebach is Emeritus Professor of Chemistry at the Laboratory of Organic Chemistry, ETH Zurich. His pioneering research focuses on the development of new synthesis methods, production and secondary structure examination of beta peptides, the synthesis of oligomers in (R)-3 hyrdroxybutyric acid and the respective biopolymers as well as their application possibilities, and the synthesis of chiral dendrimers and the use of chiral titanates in organic synthesis. The EuCheMS Lecture honours outstanding achievements by a European chemist. It also serves to enhance the image of European chemistry and to promote scientific cooperation in Europe. It rotates among EuCheMS member societies and is delivered at a scientific event outside the lecturer’s own country.