(2021)
Multimodal molecular imaging and identification of bacterial toxins causing mushroom soft rot and cavity disease.
Chembiochem 22(19),
2901-2907.

Prof. Dr. Christian Hertweck
Biomolecular Chemistry · Head +49 3641 532-1101 christian.hertweck@leibniz-hki.deCurriculum vitae
Main Research Areas
- Investigation of biosynthetic pathways of the secondary metabolism of bacteria and fungi
- Use of enzymes and recombinant microorganisms for synthetic implementation
- Isolation and structural identification of natural products
- Molecular basis of fungus-bacteria-interactions
Professional Career
2008 | Rejection of professorship, Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zurich, Switzerland |
2008 – 2023 | Deputy Director at the Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology – Hans Knöll Institute (HKI) Jena, Germany |
2008 | Rejection of professorship, Technical University Munich, Germany |
Since 2006 | Head of Department of Biomolecular Chemistry, HKI Jena |
Since 2006 | Professor (W3) and chair of Natural Product Chemistry, Friedrich Schiller University Jena (FSU), Germany |
2006 | Habilitation (Venia legendi) in organic chemistry, FSU Jena |
2005 | Rejection of professorship (W3), Rheinische Friedrich Willhelms University of Bonn, Germany |
2005 | Acceptance of professorship (W3), FSU Jena |
2001– 2005 | Head of junior research group, HKI Jena |
1999 – 2000 | Research assistant, University of Washington, Seattle, USA, funded through a Feodor Lynen fellowship for postdocs (Alexander von Humboldt Foundation) |
1996 – 1999 | PhD, Friedrich Willhelms University Bonn and Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, funded through a Max Planck doctoral fellowship |
1996 | Diploma in chemistry at the Friedrich Willhelms University Bonn, Germany |
Awards · Appointments · Scientific Activities
2015 | Member of the National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina |
2015 | Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Award |
2015 | David Gottlieb Memorial Lecture Award, University of Illinois |
2014 | Wilhelm Manchot-Research Professor |
Since 2013 | Member of the editorial board Bioorganic Chemistry |
Since 2012 | Editor, Chemistry & Biology |
Since 2012 | Member of the faculty of 1000 |
Since 2011 | Member of the editorial board, Organic and Biomolecular Chemistry |
Since 2011 | Member of the editorial board, Journal of Antibiotics |
2011 | NPR lecture award |
Since 2010 | Member of the editorial board, ChemBioChem |
2009 – 2012 | Member of the editorial board, Chemistry & Biology |
2006 | Research prize of the Dr. Otto Röhm-Memorial-Foundation |
Since 2005 | Member of the Association for General and Applied Microbiology (VAAM) |
2005 | DECHEMA award for natural product research |
2005 | Science award for life sciences and physics from the Beutenberg Campus Jena e.V. |
2005 | Thuringian research award (category: basic research) |
Since 2003 | Member of the programme committee, Natural Product Meeting, Irsee |
Since 2002 | Member of the DECHEMA Society for Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology |
Since 2001 | Member of the Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker (GDCh) |
Publications
(2021)
Iron coordination properties of gramibactin as model for the new class of diazeniumdiolate based siderophores.
Chemistry 27(8),
2724-2733.
(2021)
Bacterial cell wall-degrading enzymes induce basidiomycete natural product biosynthesis.
Environ Microbiol 23(8),
4360-4371.
(2021)
Bacterial marginolactones trigger formation of algal gloeocapsoids, protective aggregates on the verge of multicellularity.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 118(45),
e2100892118.
(2021)
AoiQ catalyzes geminal dichlorination of 1,3-diketone natural products.
J Am Chem Soc 143(19),
7267-7271.
(2021)
Highly parallelized droplet cultivation and prioritization of antibiotic producers from natural microbial communities.
eLife 10,
e64774.
(2021)
Enzyme-primed native chemical ligation produces autoinducing cyclopeptides in clostridia.
Angew Chem Int Ed 60(19),
10670-10679.
(2021)
Discovery of the Pseudomonas polyyne protegencin by a phylogeny-guided study of polyyne biosynthetic gene cluster diversity.
mBio 12(4),
e0071521.
(2021)
The bacterium Pseudomonas protegens antagonizes the microalga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii using a blend of toxins.
Environ Microbiol 23(9),
5525-5540.
(2021)
N-heterocyclization in gliotoxin biosynthesis is catalyzed by a distinct cytochrome P450 monooxygenase.
Chembiochem 22(2),
336-339.