John Kalaitzis

John Kalaitzis is a Research Fellow at Macquarie University's School of Natural Sciences, specializing in natural product discovery and biosynthesis. He holds a Ph.D. in Marine Natural Products from Griffith University and a B.App.Sci. (Hons) in Applied Chemistry from the University of Western Sydney Nepean.

Employment History:

• 2018–present: Research Fellow, Macquarie University
• 2018–2021: Senior Research Scientist, Microbial Screening Technologies Pty. Ltd.
• 2017: Research Assistant, Western Sydney University
• 2016–2017: Research Associate, Fukui Prefectural University (Japan)
• 2007–2017: Research Associate, University of New South Wales

His research focuses on uncovering specialized metabolites from bacteria and fungi, particularly exploring their biosynthetic pathways and potential applications in pharmaceuticals, agriculture, and biotechnology. Key areas include genetic diversification of molecules and understanding their roles in nature.

Research Interests:

• Fungal and bacterial secondary metabolites
• Biosynthetic pathway elucidation
• Genetic engineering for molecular diversity
• Antimicrobial and industrial applications

Collaborations: Active collaborations with institutions in Japan, the U.S., and Australia, including the Scripps Institution of Oceanography and the University of New South Wales.