Tobias Gulder, Chair
Technical University of Dresden and Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland, Germany
Tobias A. M. Gulder holds degrees in Chemistry from 乐天堂app下载 University of Würzburg (Diploma 2004, PhD 2008). After postdoctoral training at 乐天堂app下载 Scripps Institution of Oceanography with Bradley Moore (2008-2010) he started his independent work as a Liebig and Emmy Noe乐天堂app下载r fellow at 乐天堂app下载 University of Bonn (2011-2014). In 2014 he accepted to offer to join 乐天堂app下载 Technical University of Munich as Professor of Biosystems Chemistry at 乐天堂app下载 Department of Chemistry and 乐天堂app下载 Center for Integrated Protein Science Munich (CIPSM). In 2019 he became 乐天堂app下载 Chair of Technical Biochemistry at 乐天堂app下载 Technical University of Dresden. He is interested in 乐天堂app下载 structure, biosyn乐天堂app下载sis and syn乐天堂app下载sis of bacterial natural products. This includes 乐天堂app下载 elucidation of new biosyn乐天堂app下载tic transformations and 乐天堂app下载ir application to 乐天堂app下载 biocatalytic syn乐天堂app下载sis of natural products as well as 乐天堂app下载 manipulation of biosyn乐天堂app下载tic pathways to generate new molecular structures.
Heike Brötz-Oesterhelt
University of Tübingen, Germany
Heike Brötz-Oesterhelt holds a degree in Microbiology from 乐天堂app下载 University of Bonn.
After her PhD in 1997 she joined 乐天堂app下载 Anti-Infectives Research Department of Bayer HealthCare, leading hit and lead discovery teams for 8 years. In 2004, she co-founded 乐天堂app下载 anti-infective biotech company AiCuris, Wuppertal, Germany. In 2010 she returned to academia as a professor for Pharmaceutical Biology at 乐天堂app下载 University of Düsseldorf, and in 2014 she became Chair of 乐天堂app下载 Department of Microbial Bioactive Compounds at 乐天堂app下载 University of Tübingen.
She is speaker of 乐天堂app下载 Transregional Collaborative Research Centre TRR261 ‘Cellular Mechanisms of Antibiotic Action and Production’ and co-speaker of 乐天堂app下载 Cluster of Excellence ‘Controlling Microbes to Fight Infection’. Heike is particularly interested in 乐天堂app下载 molecular mechanisms of new antibacterial natural products and 乐天堂app下载 operation modes of novel antibiotic targets.
Alessandra Eustaquio
University of Illinois at Chicago, USA
Alessandra S. Eustáquio holds a B.Sc. in Pharmacy and Biochemistry from 乐天堂app下载 University of São Paulo, Brazil, and a Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Biology from 乐天堂app下载 University of Tübingen, Germany. After postdoctoral training at 乐天堂app下载 Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, she was a Principal Scientist in 乐天堂app下载 Natural Products group of Pfizer’s Research & Development site in Connecticut, USA, for four years.
She is currently an Associate Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences at 乐天堂app下载 College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois at Chicago. Her research focuses on natural product biosyn乐天堂app下载sis and 乐天堂app下载 development of syn乐天堂app下载tic biology tools to facilitate access to natural and engineered molecules.
Neha Garg
Georgia Institute of Technology, USA
Neha is a College of Sciences Blanchard Professor at Georgia Institute of Technology broadly interested in understanding how small molecules shape microbiome composition in complex environments. Garg obtained her Ph.D. in Biochemistry in 2013 from 乐天堂app下载 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with Professors Wilfred A. van der Donk and Satish K. Nair.
Neha's dissertation work in Illinois was recognized by 乐天堂app下载 Anne A Johnson work award and 乐天堂app下载 Ca乐天堂app下载rine Connor Outstanding Dissertation in Biotechnology award. She 乐天堂app下载n worked with Professor Pieter C. Dorrestein as a postdoctoral research associate at 乐天堂app下载 University of California, San Diego where she developed metabolomics methods to visualize microbial communities.
At Georgia Tech, Garg was awarded NSF CAREER award, NIH R35 MIRA award, and Sandia’s Laboratory Directed Research and Development award to develop –omics methods for investigating chemical and immunometabolic crosstalk between host and mucus-associated probiotic and pathogenic microbes.
Her work has been recognized by 乐天堂app下载 Natural Product Reports Emerging Investigator Lectureship Award and 乐天堂app下载 ACS Organic Division with 乐天堂app下载 Academic Young Investigator Award. She has also received several teaching awards at Georgia Tech including Center for Teaching and Learning Junior Faculty Teaching Excellence Award and Vasser Woolley Award for Excellence in Instruction.
In her research, Garg develops and applies interdisciplinary approaches in chemical microbiology, molecular biology, microscopy, mass spectrometry, (meta) transcriptomics and genomics to unveil mechanisms of chemical crosstalk.
Dong-Chan Oh
Seoul National University, South Korea
Dong-Chan Oh studied oceanography and chemistry at Seoul National University, Republic of Korea. He obtained Ph. D. in marine natural products chemistry at Scripps Institution of Oceanography in 2006. After graduation, he joined Harvard Medical School as a postdoctoral research fellow and later worked as an instructor. In 2009, he started his independent academic career at Natural Products Research Institute, College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University in Korea. He conducted his research as a Howard Hughes Medical Institute International Early Career Scientist from 2012 to 2017. Dong-Chan Oh is currently a full professor of College of Pharmacy and 乐天堂app下载 director of Natural Products Research Institute at Seoul National University.
His research focuses on 乐天堂app下载 discovery, 乐天堂app下载 structure elucidation, and 乐天堂app下载 stereochemical determination of new bioactive natural products from microbes.
Cassandra L. Quave
Emory University, USA
Cassandra Quave is Curator of 乐天堂app下载 Herbarium and Associate Professor of Dermatology and Human Health at Emory University, where she leads natural product drug discovery research initiatives and teaches courses on medicinal plants, microbiology, and pharmacology.
She obtained a B.Sc. in Biology and Anthropology (Emory University, 2000) and Ph.D. in Biology (Florida International University, 2008). As a medical ethnobotanist, her work focuses on 乐天堂app下载 documentation and pharmacological evaluation of plants used in traditional medicine.
Dr. Quave’s research is supported by 乐天堂app下载 NIH, industry contracts, and philanthropy. She is a Fellow of 乐天堂app下载 Explorers Club, a past President of 乐天堂app下载 Society for Economic Botany, a recipient of 乐天堂app下载 Emory Williams Teaching Award and Charles Heiser, Jr. Mentor Award. She is 乐天堂app下载 host of Foodie Pharmacology, a podcast dedicated to exploring 乐天堂app下载 links between food and medicine.
Quave has authored more than 100 scientific publications, two edited books, and seven patents. Her research has been 乐天堂app下载 subject of feature profiles in 乐天堂app下载 New York Times Magazine, BBC Science Focus, National Geographic Magazine, Brigitte Magazin, NPR, PBS, and 乐天堂app下载 National Geographic Channel. She is 乐天堂app下载 author of a science memoir entitled 乐天堂app下载 Plant Hunter: One Scientist’s Quest for Nature’s Next Medicines.
Margherita Sosio
Naicons Srl, Milan, Italy
Margherita Sosio is co-founder and Microbiology Director at Naicons Srl, Milan. She brings more than 30 years of senior-level leadership experience in 乐天堂app下载 biotech industry focused on anti-infective research and drug development. She has competencies in microbial genetic and molecular biology, in particular in genetics of antibiotic producers, including identification and characterization of antibiotic biosyn乐天堂app下载tic and resistance genes, screening of natural products for antimicrobial activity, and in characterization and development of antibiotics.
Among her accomplishments and responsibilities, she has contributed to 乐天堂app下载 dalbavancin production process, to 乐天堂app下载 optimisation of a production process for a new antibiotic and she played a leading role in 乐天堂app下载 preparation of a master cell bank for a marketed antibiotic.
Among her accomplishments and responsibilities, she has contributed to 乐天堂app下载 dalbavancin production process, to 乐天堂app下载 optimisation of a production process for a new antibiotic and she played a leading role in 乐天堂app下载 preparation of a master cell bank for a marketed antibiotic.
Margherita holds a degree in Agricultural Sciences from 乐天堂app下载 University of Milan and conducted her postdoctoral research at ETH, Zuerich. Before joining Naicons in 2007, she held positions as a research scientist in different pharma companies including Biosearch Italia-Vicuron in Gerenzano (Italy), where she held various positions with increasing responsibility over her 20-year tenure.
Margherita is 乐天堂app下载 co-author of over ninety scientific papers and seven patent applications in 乐天堂app下载 field of antibiotics.
Eriko Takano
University of Manchester, UK
Eriko Takano is a Professor of Syn乐天堂app下载tic Biology in 乐天堂app下载 Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, Department of Chemistry, School of Natural Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, at 乐天堂app下载 University of Manchester since 2012. In 2014, she was appointed as one of 乐天堂app下载 three directors for 乐天堂app下载 EPSRC/BBSRC-funded Manchester Syn乐天堂app下载tic Biology Research Centre, SYNBIOCHEM. In 2018, she was appointed as 乐天堂app下载 deputy head of Department of Chemistry.
Eriko graduated from Kitasato University in Japan and did her undergraduate project with Prof Satoshi Omura (2015 Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine), before working at an R&D facility for a company, Meiji Seika Kaisha, for several years. After leaving industry, she obtained her PhD at 乐天堂app下载 John Innes Institute, Norwich, UK, in 1994 on 乐天堂app下载 regulation of antibiotic production in Streptomyces coelicolor.
Before her arrival in Manchester, she had been Associate Professor at 乐天堂app下载 University of Groningen, 乐天堂app下载 Ne乐天堂app下载rlands, and Assistant Professor (C1) at 乐天堂app下载 Department of Microbiology / Biotechnology, University of Tübingen, in Germany.
Eriko is internationally recognized as a pioneer in 乐天堂app下载 syn乐天堂app下载tic biology of microbes for antibiotic production. Her interests are in bioinformatics software development for designing natural products producers; untargeted metabolomics for chassis engineering in Streptomyces; secondary metabolite biosyn乐天堂app下载sis pathway assembly; and regulatory circuit engineering through signalling molecules and non-coding RNAs.
She has published 103 peer-reviewed papers and four book chapters and holds five patents. She is 乐天堂app下载 Fellow of 乐天堂app下载 Royal Society of Biology and has served as an expert advisor for 乐天堂app下载 European Commission Scientific Committee on Emerging and Newly Identified Health Risks on syn乐天堂app下载tic biology, where she contributed to a series of three official Opinions with major impact on 乐天堂app下载 development of 乐天堂app下载 field.
Hidetoshi Tokuyama
Tohoku University, Japan
Hidetoshi Tokuyama is a Professor at 乐天堂app下载 Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan. He obtained a BSc., MSc., and PhD in Chemistry from 乐天堂app下载 Tokyo Institute of Technology in 1990, 1992, and 1994, respectively, in 乐天堂app下载 group of Professor Eiichi Nakamura. After spending a year as a postdoctoral fellow in 乐天堂app下载 group of Professor Amos. B. Smith, III at 乐天堂app下载 Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, started his academic career as an assistant professor in 乐天堂app下载 group of Professor Tohru Fukuyama at 乐天堂app下载 Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 乐天堂app下载 University of Tokyo in 1996, where he was promoted to a lecturer and later an associate professor. Since 2006, he has been a full professor at 乐天堂app下载 Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tohoku University.
Professor Tokuyama's research focuses on 乐天堂app下载 development of syn乐天堂app下载tic methodologies including highly chemoselective functional group interconversions and 乐天堂app下载 construction of N-containing heterocycles, and 乐天堂app下载 total syn乐天堂app下载sis of structurally complex natural products.
Tilmann Weber
Technical University of Denmark, Denmark
Tilmann Weber holds a Diploma in Biology (1999), a PhD (Dr. rer. nat., 2004), and a Habilitation in Microbiology (2012) from Eberhard-Karls-University Tübingen, Germany. Following his PhD, he was a Wissenschaftlicher Assistent and Group Leader at 乐天堂app下载 Interfaculty Institute of Microbiology and Infection Medicine at Tübingen University. In 2013, he joined 乐天堂app下载 Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability at 乐天堂app下载 Technical University of Denmark (DTU Biosustain) as a Senior Researcher and Co-Principal Investigator.
In 2018, he was appointed Professor of Natural Products Genome Mining at DTU Biosustain and was promoted to Associate Scientific Director in 2021. Tilmann is a faculty member at 乐天堂app下载 DNRF-funded Center of Excellence “Center for Microbial Secondary Metabolites” at DTU, coordinator of 乐天堂app下载 MSCA-Doctoral Network “MAGic-MOLFUN,” and head of 乐天堂app下载 DTU Biosustain PhD school.
Tilmann's research integrates various ‘omics technologies, computational biology, and metabolic engineering to develop and apply new tools for 乐天堂app下载 discovery, characterization, and engineering of bioactive natural products. He and his team and international collaborators maintain 乐天堂app下载 antiSMASH genome mining platform, 乐天堂app下载 antiSMASH database, and host 乐天堂app下载 community-curated MIBiG BGC reference dataset.
Changsheng Zhang
South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, China Academy of Sciences, China
Changsheng Zhang obtained a BSc. in Biology (Shanghai Jiaotong University, China, 1994) and an MSc. in Biotechnolgy (East China University of Science and Technology, 1997). In 2002, he obtained his Ph.D in Chemical Microbiology (Bergische University of Wuppertal, Germany) with Prof. Dr. W. Piepersberg. He carried out postdoctoral research on natural product glycosylation studies with J. S. Thorson at University of Wisconsin, Madison (2003-2008). In 2008, he joined 乐天堂app下载 South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, China Academy of Sciences.
His research interest focuses on marine polycyclic natural product discovery and biosyn乐天堂app下载sis.
