Bernd Michael Rode is professor of theoretical and inorganic chemistry at the University of Innsbruck, Austria. He has taught theoretical chemistry at numerous universities in Asia, where he has also built up new computational chemistry institutions. He has authored nearly 400 scientific publications and obtained numerous honours and awards, among them three honorary doctoral degrees. His present research is focused on theory of liquids and solutions, but he also maintains an experimental group studying chemical evolution towards the origin of life.

Thomas S. Hofer has graduated from a college of technology and obtained his M.Sc. degree in chemistry at the University of Innsbruck. Since 2005, he has been working as assistant professor in theoretical chemistry at the University of Innsbruck and will obtain his Ph.D. degree in this field in 2006. He has published 16 scientific articles, including two review articles. He has been awarded the Austrian nation-wide prize for outstanding studies.

Michael Kugler obtained his secondary education in Tyrol and Upper Austria and is at present a graduate student of physics and chemistry at the University of Innsbruck.