Dirk Benndorf

Prof. Dr. Dirk Benndorf serves as Professor of Microbiology at the Department of Applied Biosciences and Process Engineering, Anhalt University of Applied Sciences (since October 2022). He previously held an acting professorship there from 2019-2022 and worked as a research associate at Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg (2007-2022) in collaboration with the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics of Complex Technical Systems.

• Education: Biochemistry degree at University of Leipzig (1991-1996), PhD in Biochemistry (2000) focusing on xenobiotic resistance mechanisms

His research centers on metaproteomic analysis of microbial communities in technical systems (biogas plants, wastewater treatment facilities) and natural environments (gut microbiome, soil). He investigates complex microbial interactions through mass spectrometry and bioinformatics, particularly examining syntrophy, competition, and phage-host relationships in biogas systems, while exploring human microbiome connections to inflammatory bowel disease, colon cancer, and metabolic disorders.

Key publication trends include: metaproteomic workflows (2019), microbial community modeling (2016-2017), and environmental stress response studies (2004-2007). His work bridges fundamental microbiome understanding with practical applications for sustainable energy production and medical diagnostics.

Teaching emphasizes laboratory skills development, OMICS technologies, and bioinformatics training. He advocates student-driven content exploration and presentation as critical professional skills. His research group employs high-resolution mass spectrometry and MALDI-TOF identification techniques.