Sarah E. O'Connor

Professor Sarah E. O'Connor is the Director of the Department of Natural Product Biosynthesis at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology in Jena, Germany. Her research focuses on understanding and engineering biosynthetic pathways for plant-derived natural products.

• 2024 Prelog Medal and Lectureship, ETH Zurich
• 2024 Member of the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina
• 2024 Doctors honoris causa, Université de Tours
• 2023 Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize
• 2023 Fellow of the Royal Society
• 2022 Ernest Guenther Award in Natural Product Chemistry
• 2019 RSC Perkin Prize for Organic Chemistry

O'Connor's work bridges plant biochemistry, enzymology, and synthetic biology to explore complex natural product synthesis. She is recognized for her contributions to biotechnology and chemical ecology through prestigious awards and memberships.