(2016)
Voices of Chemical Biology: Charting the Next Decade.
Cell Chem Biol 23(2),
199.
(Review)

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
(2016)
A concise total synthesis of sespenine, a structurally unusual indole terpenoid from Streptomyces.
Org Chem Front 3,
368-374.
(2016)
On-line enzymatic tailoring of polyketides and peptides in thiotemplate systems.
Curr Opin Chem Biol 31,
82-94.
(Review)
(2016)
Zinc(II)-Assisted Aryl-Finkelstein-Reaction for the Synthesis of Aryl Iodides.
Synlett 27,
1794-1797.
(2016)
Bipiperidine conjugates as soluble sugar surrogates in DNA-intercalating antiproliferative polyketides.
Chem Commun (Camb) 52(27),
4894-4897.
(2016)
Zincophorin – biosynthesis in Streptomyces griseus and antibiotic properties
GMS Infect Dis 4,
Doc08.
(2016)
A fivefold parallelized biosynthetic process secures chlorination of Armillaria mellea (honey mushroom) toxins.
Appl Environ Microbiol 82,
1196-1204.
(2015)
Dandamycin and chandrananimycin E, benzoxazines from Streptomyces griseus.
J Antibiot (Tokyo) 68,
463-468.
(2015)
Bacterial synthesis of unusual sulfonamide and sulfone antibiotics by flavoenzyme-mediated sulfur dioxide capture.
Angew Chem Int Ed Engl. 54(45),
13279-13283.
(2015)
Terpenoid biosynthesis off the beaten track: unconventional cyclases and their impact on biomimetic synthesis.
Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 54(9),
2604-2626.