Steffen Maak

Prof. Dr. Steffen Maak is a leading researcher at the Leibniz Institute of Farm Animal Biology (FBN) in Dummerstorf, Germany, where he serves as Head of the Institute of Muscle Biology and Growth, Head of the Nutrition and Metabolism Competence Field, and leader of the Muscle-Fat Interaction Working Group. He holds adjunct teaching positions at the University of Rostock and Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, contributing to programs in agricultural sciences, environmental sciences, and molecular biology.

His research focuses on the biology of skeletal muscle in farm animals, meat quality, and the role of adipokines and myokines in regulating muscle and fat tissue. Key areas include intramuscular fat deposition, myogenesis, lipid metabolism, and metabolic interactions between muscle and adipose tissues in livestock such as pigs, cattle, and poultry.

His recent publications (2021–2024) reveal a strong trend in sustainable animal nutrition (e.g., black soldier fly larvae), metabolic responses to dietary supplements (e.g., glutamine, fatty acids), genetic regulation of meat quality traits, and molecular mechanisms underlying developmental disorders like congenital splay leg in piglets. His work integrates genomics, physiology, and nutrition to improve animal productivity and product quality.

Prof. Maak has no listed scientific awards in the provided text, but his extensive collaborative research and high publication output indicate significant scientific impact. He supervises multiple research projects and collaborates with international teams across Europe and Africa. His advising role includes mentoring junior scientists and coordinating working groups, though specific student names are not listed.

He is affiliated with the Muscle-Fat Interaction Working Group and leads research on metabolic cross-talk in farm animals. His laboratory investigates cellular and molecular mechanisms of muscle and fat development, utilizing models such as piglets, broilers, and cattle.