Prof. Dr. Wilfried Weber

Chair of New Materials

Prof. Dr. Wilfried Weber

Materials Synthetic Biology

Our inspiration is the ability of organisms and the materials they are made of to adapt to dynamic environmental conditions. Plants adapt growth to light conditions; bacteria develop resistance against antibiotics or bones get stronger when exercised. The basis for this ability to adapt is a fascinating information processing machinery of the organisms: Environmental conditions are captured by molecular sensors, then the signals are processed and integrated with genetic programs to finally yield a targeted response. In our research, we engineer nature’s molecular sensing, processing, and actuation machinery in order to precisely control the function and properties of cells and materials. We apply these newly developed technologies in different fields of fundamental and applied research.

Research focus:

• Stimulus-responsive and information-processing (living) materials
• Molecular Optogenetics
• Biosensors

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