In his AnoxyGen project, Christian Hertweck is investigating the unique biosynthetic pathways and active compounds of anaerobic bacteria in order to better understand their role in nature and develop them for medical, ecological and biotechnological applications. Some of these applications could benefit humans, animals and the environment.
Long before photosynthesis brought free oxygen into the world, the earth was already populated by numerous organisms with completely different metabolic pathways. Anaerobic bacteria have survived the ages in special, oxygen-free niches. Using newly developed molecular and synthetic biology tools, the researchers want to decode and harness the still unknown metabolic pathways of these bacteria. The project encompasses several areas of work in which a powerful expression system is used to identify and modify new active compounds. This will also enable the interdisciplinary team to produce and research the toxins and virulence factors of pathogenic anaerobes without having to cultivate large quantities of the pathogens themselves.
Hertweck heads the Department of Biomolecular Chemistry at the Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology – Hans Knöll Institute (Leibniz-HKI) and is Professor of Natural Product Chemistry at Friedrich Schiller University Jena.
The ERC Advanced Grant, one of the most prestigious grants of the European Union, recognizes the excellence and innovation of top researchers.
Ascenion as a long-standing technology transfer partner of HKI congratulates Prof. Christian Hertweck on this impressive achievement!
Further information: Leibniz-HKI's press release
ERC Advanced Grant for natural product researcher at Ascenion’s partner institute HKI
Prof. Dr Christian Hertweck, Head of the Department of Biomolecular Chemistry at the Leibniz-HKI and Professor of Natural Product Chemistry at the Friedrich Schiller University Jena, has been awarded one of the prestigious ERC Advanced Grants by the European Research Council (ERC).
