Birgitta Ebert, FaBA Future Academic Leader in Precision Fermentation at The University of Queensland, is a microbial biotechnologist specialising in metabolic engineering and synthetic biology to improve microbial catalysts for the sustainable production of chemicals and materials.
Key focus areas are the conversion of renewable resources and waste into valuable products to reduce dependence on petrochemicals and the establishment of precision fermentation as a more sustainable alternative to conventional production practices. Her research emphasises the integration of chemical and biological processes to improve the sustainability and efficiency of fermentation-based manufacturing.
Birgitta holds a degree in chemical engineering and a doctorate in systems biotechnology from TU Dortmund University. With her work as head of a research group at the Institute of Applied Microbiology at RWTH Aachen University from 2012 to 2019, she distinguished herself in the field of systems metabolic engineering. In 2016, she joined the Keasling Lab at the University of California, Berkeley, and at the Joint BioEnergy Institute in Emeryville, USA, to deepen her knowledge of synthetic biology.
Currently at the UQ Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, she is applying her expertise to engineer microbial cell factories for fermentation-based manufacturing.
Key capabilities
Microbial Biotechnology
Fermentation-based Manufacturing
Synthetic Biology
Systems Metabolic Engineering