Fabian Pfrengle

Fabian Pfrengle is a full Professor of Organic Chemistry at the Institute of Organic Chemistry, Department of Natural Sciences and Sustainable Resources, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna (BOKU). He previously led research groups at the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces (2013-2020) and worked at The Scripps Research Institute (2010-2013).

Research Focus: His work bridges carbohydrate chemistry and plant biology, specializing in plant cell wall glycans and glycosyltransferases. He develops synthetic glycan arrays for enzyme characterization and investigates immune response triggering mechanisms in plants through oligosaccharide fragments. His projects include automated polysaccharide synthesis and liposome-based immune tolerance applications.

Publication Trends: His 15 most recent articles emphasize chemical synthesis of sugar nucleotides, plant glycan arrays, and enzyme specificity analysis, reflecting his focus on carbohydrate engineering and plant immunity. Key subfields include UDP-sugar derivatization, Xylan structure-function relationships, and Glycosyltransferase profiling.

Grants & Projects: Currently leads 5 major projects including Automated Algal Polysaccharide Synthesis (EU-funded, 2023-2028) and Synthetic Glycan Ligands for Plant Immune Receptors (FWF-funded, 2022-2026). His research also explores thrombocyte biology and Rhamnogalacturonan-II fragments with support from FWF and City of Vienna.

Community Service: Serves on editorial boards (Monatshefte für Chemie, 2021-present) and as reviewer for 12 journals including JACS Au, Nature Communications, and Angewandte Chemie. Member of professional societies: Gesellschaft Österreichischer Chemiker (2020), Deutscher Hochschulverband (2019), and Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker (2008).