Lukas Milles

Prof. Dr. Lukas Milles is a Professor (W2) at the Gene Center, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) Munich and an Emmy Noether Group Leader at the Max Planck Institute (MPI) of Biochemistry in Martinsried. His research focuses on de novo protein design, leveraging deep learning and biophysical characterization to engineer proteins with novel functions. He holds appointments at both LMU and the MPI, bridging computational and experimental approaches in biomolecular design.

Academically, Milles earned a PhD in Physics/Biophysics from LMU (2014–2018) under Prof. Hermann Gaub, followed by postdoctoral training at the University of Washington’s Institute for Protein Design (2019–2023) with Prof. David Baker. His interdisciplinary work spans protein stability, host-pathogen interactions, and synthetic biology, with a focus on autocatalytic enzymes and catch-bond mechanisms inspired by bacterial pathogens.

Key research interests include single-molecule biophysics, high-throughput protein screening, and machine learning-driven design. His lab develops tools like RFdiffusion and ProteinMPNN to predict and engineer protein structures and functions. Notable achievements include designing mechanically robust proteins and elucidating the molecular basis of pathogen adhesin stability.

Scientific awards include the HFSP Cross-Disciplinary Fellowship (2020–2023) and EMBO Long-Term Fellowship (2019–2020). His group actively collaborates with institutions worldwide, advancing applications in biomedicine and biomaterials. Current projects prioritize synthetic protein systems for targeted therapies and mechanoresponsive biomolecules.