Sonja Billerbeck

Sonja Billerbeck is an Associate Professor in the Department of Bioengineering at Imperial College London. She previously held positions at the University of Groningen, including Assistant Professor (2019–2025) and Associate Professor (2024–2024). Her affiliations include the Fungal Science Network, the Centre for Synthetic Biology, and the Imperial Bezos Center for Sustainable Protein.

Education:

• PhD in Bioengineering, ETH Zurich (2008–2013)
• MSc Biology and Master of History of Science, University of Tübingen (2005–2008)

Research Interests: Sonja focuses on engineering non-model yeasts and bacteria for applications in human health, agriculture, and the bioeconomy. Her work includes developing strategies to target fungal pathogens and creating synthetic biology tools for microbes. Key areas include the Yeast Toxicome, Fungal GPCRs, and tools for non-model microbes.

Affiliations & Roles:

• Editor-in-Chief, OUP Synthetic Biology (2024–present)
• Lab Website and LinkedIn profiles available