Konrad Meister

Konrad Meister is a Researcher and Group Leader at the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research in the Department of M. Bonn. He holds a Ph.D. in physical chemistry from Ruhr-University Bochum (2013), following B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees in biochemistry. His postdoctoral work (2014–2018) at AMOLF (Netherlands) focused on antifreeze proteins as a Marie Curie fellow. He has conducted research stays at the University of Illinois and participated in four Antarctic expeditions.

His research centers on molecular strategies of freeze-avoidant organisms, antifreeze proteins, and ice nucleation mechanisms. Techniques include biochemical assays, biophysical experiments, and advanced spectroscopy (e.g., sum frequency generation). Key interests include identifying novel ice-nucleating proteins, analyzing their structure, and exploring applications in environmental and biological contexts.

His work has been published in journals like Biogeosciences, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, and ChemPhysChem. Collaborations involve institutions such as the University of Illinois and international expeditions. His group, the ERI Group, develops methods to study protein functions at environmental interfaces, with recent focus on ice nucleation and antifreeze protein mechanisms.

Notable outreach includes workshops on antifreeze proteins during EU Open Days in Brussels (2019). No specific awards are listed, but his contributions to understanding ice-binding molecules are internationally recognized.