Stephan Hammer

Stephan Hammer is a Professor of Organic Chemistry and Biocatalysis at the Faculty of Chemistry, University of Bielefeld, and Head of the Organic Chemistry and Biocatalysis Group at the Center for Biotechnology (CeBiTec). He is also a Project Manager for multiple DFG-funded initiatives and a Recipient of the Emmy Noether Fellowship. His work focuses on creating and evolving biocatalysts for synthetic chemistry applications.

• Education: PhD in Biocatalysis (University of Stuttgart, 2014), Postdoc with Frances Arnold (Caltech, 2015-2017), studied Chemistry at Cambridge (2008-2009) and Marburg (2005-2010)

Research Interests center on directed enzyme evolution for non-natural reactions, particularly CC/CN/CO bond formations using SAM analogues and engineered enzymes like cytochrome P450s and methyltransferases. His methodology spans bioinformatics, molecular biology, and preparative synthesis.

His 15 most recent articles highlight trends in biocatalytic alkylation, carbocation control, SAM analogue generation, and P450 engineering for selective oxidation. These studies often involve directed evolution of enzymes to access reactive intermediates and expand metabolic pathways.

Scientific Awards include the Emmy Noether Junior Research Group Fellowship from the German Research Foundation (DFG), enabling his work on novel catalytic reactions through enzyme engineering. Additional funding includes DFG grants and support from the German Federal Environmental Foundation.

Research Collaborations span institutions like Caltech (Frances Arnold), University of Stuttgart (Bernhard Hauer), and partnerships within the Organic Chemistry and Biocatalysis Group at CeBiTec. His projects frequently involve interdisciplinary teams in chemical biology and protein engineering.