Birgitta Ebert

Dr. Birgitta Ebert is a Professor and FaBA Future Academic Leader in Fermentation at the Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (AIBN), University of Queensland. Her research focuses on developing eco-friendly biotechnological solutions for pollution, climate change, and resource sustainability through metabolic engineering, synthetic biology, and systems analysis. She holds a PhD in Systems Biotechnology from TU Dortmund University and led a research group at RWTH Aachen University (2012–2019) before joining UQ in 2019.

Her work emphasizes microbial cell factory engineering for converting renewable resources into valuable products, collaborating with chemists and engineers to enhance process efficiency. Key research areas include systems metabolic engineering, synthetic biology applications, and bioeconomy strategies. Ebert’s projects span triterpenoid production, cyanobacterial bioproduction, and lignin valorization, with a focus on sustainable chemical manufacturing.

Recent articles highlight advancements in precision fermentation for food production, microbial triterpenoid synthesis, and biofuel development. She actively supervises PhD students in projects like vaccine adjuvant production, lignin conversion, and carbon-efficient bioprocesses. Ebert leads grants from funders such as Queensland-Germany Bioeconomy, ARC, and the U.S. Army, addressing challenges like lignin valorization and CO2-derived bioproducts. Her lab integrates omics technologies, synthetic biology tools, and high-throughput experimentation to drive innovation in industrial biotechnology.