Medema MH, Kottmann R, Yilmaz P, Cummings M, Biggins JB, Blin K, de Bruijn I, Chooi YH, Claesen J, Coates RC, Cruz-Morales P, Duddela S, Düsterhus S, Edwards DJ, Fewer DP, Garg N, Geiger C, Gomez-Escribano JP, Greule A, Hadjithomas M, Haines AS, Helfrich EJ, Hillwig ML, Ishida K, Jones AC, Jones CS, Jungmann K, Kegler C, Kim HU, Kötter P, Krug D, Masschelein J, Melnik AV, Mantovani SM, Monroe EA, Moore M, Moss N, Nützmann HW, Pan G, Pati A, Petras D, Reen FJ, Rosconi F, Rui Z, Tian Z, Tobias NJ, Tsunematsu Y, Wiemann P, Wyckoff E, Yan X, Yim G, Yu F, Xie Y, Aigle B, Apel AK, Balibar CJ, Balskus EP, Barona-Gómez F, Bechthold A, Bode HB, Borriss R, Brady SF, Brakhage AA, Caffrey P, Cheng YQ, Clardy J, Cox RJ, De Mot R, Donadio S, Donia MS, van der Donk WA, Dorrestein PC, Doyle S, Driessen AJ, Ehling-Schulz M, Entian KD, Fischbach MA, Gerwick L, Gerwick WH, Gross H, Gust B, Hertweck C, Höfte M, Jensen SE, Ju J, Katz L, Kaysser L, Klassen JL, Keller NP, Kormanec J, Kuipers OP, Kuzuyama T, Kyrpides NC, Kwon HJ, Lautru S, Lavigne R, Lee CY, Linquan B, Liu X, Liu W, Luzhetskyy A, Mahmud T, Mast Y, Méndez C, Metsä-Ketelä M, Micklefield J, Mitchell DA, Moore BS, Moreira LM, Müller R, Neilan BA, Nett M, Nielsen J, O'Gara F, Oikawa H, Osbourn A, Osburne MS, Ostash B, Payne SM, Pernodet JL, Petricek M, Piel J, Ploux O, Raaijmakers JM, Salas JA, Schmitt EK, Scott B, Seipke RF, Shen B, Sherman DH, Sivonen K, Smanski MJ, Sosio M, Stegmann E, Süssmuth RD, Tahlan K, Thomas CM, Tang Y, Truman AW, Viaud M, Walton JD, Walsh CT, Weber T, van Wezel GP, Wilkinson B, Willey JM, Wohlleben W, Wright GD, Ziemert N, Zhang C, Zotchev SB, Breitling R, Takano E, Glöckner FO
(2015)
Minimum information about a biosynthetic gene cluster.
Nat Chem Biol 11,
625-631.

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
(2015)
Minimum information about a biosynthetic gene cluster.
Nat Chem Biol 11,
625-631.
(2015)
Plant pathogenic anaerobic bacteria use aromatic polyketides to access aerobic territory.
Science 350(6261),
670-674.
(2015)
Freedom and constraint in engineered noncolinear polyketide assembly lines
Chem Biol 22(2),
229-240.
(2015)
Polyketide synthase chimeras reveal key role of ketosynthase domain in chain branching
Nat Chem Biol. 11(12),
949-951.
(2015)
Structure, Genetics and Function of an Exopolysaccharide Produced by a Bacterium Living within Fungal Hyphae.
Chembiochem 16(3),
387-392.
(2015)
Structural basis of head to head polyketide fusion by CorB.
Chem Sci 6(11),
6525-6536.
(2014)
Total synthesis of the antitumor natural product polycarcin V and evaluation of its DNA binding profile.
Org Lett 16(11),
2962-2965.
(2014)
Biosynthesis of the Halogenated Mycotoxin Aspirochlorine in Koji Mold Involves a Cryptic Amino Acid Conversion.
Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 53,
13409-13413.
(2014)
Control of plant defense mechanisms and fire blight pathogenesis through the regulation of 6-thioguanine biosynthesis in Erwinia amylovora.
Chembiochem 15(3),
373-376.
(2014)
Reflecting on the past and looking forward to the future of bridging chemistry and biology.
Chem Biol 21(9),
1035-1036.