Stefan Heinl

Stefan Heinl is a researcher at the Institute of Molecular Biotechnology, Department of Biotechnology and Food Sciences, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU). His work focuses on molecular biotechnology, particularly in recombinant protein expression, genetic engineering of lactic acid bacteria, and microbial systems biology. He leads the research project Bioremediation of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) and has been actively involved in multiple national and industry-funded projects.

• PhD: Development of a production strain for fumonisin degradation (2003–2008)
• PostDoc: Genetically engineered lactic acid bacteria (2008–2016)
• Project Leader: PFAS-Biorem (2024–2027)

His research interests include industrial biotechnology, probiotics, synthetic biology, and bioremediation. He has published extensively on Lactobacillus systems, including gene expression, plasmid biology, and glycosylation. His recent work explores the use of recombinant bacteria as vaccine vectors and allergen delivery systems.

His publications from 2013 to 2025 show a strong trend toward applied microbial biotechnology, particularly in health-related applications (e.g., immunomodulation, allergy prevention) and environmental solutions (e.g., PFAS degradation). The integration of systems biology and genetic engineering is a recurring theme.

He has received scientific recognition including the Houskapreis (1st place, 2014) and WISP10 (3rd place, 2010). He serves as a reviewer for journals such as Microbial Cell Factories, Journal of Biotechnology, and PLoS One, and has evaluated research proposals for agencies like the Slovenian Research Agency.

He has supervised several master’s students and contributed to knowledge transfer through project reports and conference presentations. His work is supported by national industry funding and reflects a strong interdisciplinary approach combining microbiology, molecular biology, and bioprocess engineering.