Rosa Herbst

Dr. Rosa Herbst is a Research Fellow in the Paleobiotechnology unit at the Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology (Leibniz-HKI) in Jena, Germany. Her work focuses on the molecular mechanisms of chemical signaling in Dictyostelium discoideum, particularly polyketide-mediated regulation of multicellular development.

Her research integrates molecular biology, chemical ecology, and genomics to investigate how natural products govern microbial social behavior. Key interests include polyketide biosynthesis, chemical signaling in eukaryotic systems, and the application of paleogenomics to natural product discovery. Her approach combines genome mining, metabolomic profiling, and organic synthesis to characterize secondary metabolites with ecological and pharmaceutical relevance.

Analysis of her 2018-2025 publications reveals a trajectory from foundational studies on Dictyostelium chemical ecology toward innovative applications of ancient DNA reconstruction. Her work increasingly bridges evolutionary biology and drug discovery, with recent emphasis on paleobiotechnology – resurrecting functional pathways from extinct microbes. The consistent focus on polyketides across diverse biological contexts demonstrates methodological rigor in natural products research.

Supported by principal investigator Prof. Stallforth's grants, Dr. Herbst contributes to a highly collaborative research environment. While she does not maintain independent students, her international co-authorship networks (including Science publications with >25 collaborators) indicate active participation in large-scale projects. The medac Research Prize recognition for her PNAS and Science papers underscores the impact of her team's work.

As part of Leibniz-HKI's Paleobiotechnology unit, she operates within a specialized environment that merges cutting-edge genomics with chemistry-focused discovery. The unit's infrastructure enables unique investigations into both contemporary microbial systems and evolutionary snapshots preserved in ancient biomolecules.