Dr Stefan Leopold-Messer

After receiving a Bsc. in “Technical Chemistry” from the Technical University of Vienna, I moved to ETH Zürich in Switzerland to obtain my Msc. in “Biological Chemistry” working in the labs of Prof. Jörn Piel and Prof. Donald Hilvert. Then, I started my PhD at the Institute of Microbiology at ETH Zürich under the supervision of Prof. Jörn Piel. 

My research has focussed on the study of bacterial trans-acyltransferase polyketide synthases, multimodular enzymes that generate diverse bioactive natural products some of which serve as pharmaceuticals. In this exceptionally multidisciplinary environment, I acquired skills in bioinformatics, molecular biology, strain engineering, and the isolation and characterization of structurally complex biomolecules. In 2024, I moved to the Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, working as a Post Doctoral Researcher with Dr. Sarah Lovelock, where we are developing biocatalytic approaches to oligonucleotide manufacturing.

 Here you can find out more about my research: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3490-3550

Please don’t hesitate to get in touch.