"At the Institute of Molecular Enzyme Technology (IMET), we use and develop methods in synthetic biology, enzyme engineering, and metabolic engineering to establish biotechnological processes. Our work focuses on the discovery, characterization, and optimization of proteins and enzymes, as well as on creating tailor-made bacterial cell factories that can be used for sustainable production processes in industrial biotechnology and the chemical industry.

A key focus is on metalloenzymes – an enzyme class that comprises around half of all enzymes. The most important metalloenzymes contain complex iron–sulfur clusters and catalyze key steps in the global carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur cycles. They are therefore central to sustainable processes such as CO₂ fixation, fertilizer production, and the generation of renewable fuels, bulk chemicals, and value-added products.

To unlock the potential of these enzymes, we combine a broad methodological toolbox: from identifying new biocatalysts using AI-assisted analysis of (meta)genomics data and activity-based enzyme screenings, to structure determination by cryo-electron microscopy, crystallography, and spectroscopy, and finally targeted optimization through computational design and directed evolution. In addition, we establish new expression systems for oxygen-sensitive metalloenzymes and develop genetic tools—such as light-controlled promoter/regulator systems – as well as reporters and biosensors to precisely monitor and control enzyme activities and metabolic processes in vivo with high temporal resolution.

Research topics:

• Structure–function relationships of (metallo)enzymes  
• Enzyme engineering  
• Reconstruction and analysis of ancestral enzymes  
• Waste streams and industrial gases as carbon and nitrogen sources  
• Biocatalytic production of bulk chemicals, fertilizers, and fuels  
• New expression systems for oxygen-sensitive metalloenzymes  
• Synthetic biology and optogenetics  
• Establishment and optimization of tailor-made cell factories”