Thomas Schlichthärle

Prof. Dr. Thomas Schlichthärle is a Tenure Track Assistant Professor at the Technical University of Munich (TUM), holding the Professorship for AI-Guided Protein Design within the TUM School of Natural Sciences and Department of Bioscience. His research bridges machine learning, structural biology, and synthetic biology to develop synthetic proteins that modulate cellular signaling pathways.

• Education:
  • B.Sc. in Molecular Medicine, University of Tübingen
  • M.Sc. in Molecular Bioengineering, TU Dresden
  • Research at Wyss Institute (Boston) and Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry (Munich)

Research Focus: AI-assisted protein design for controlling cellular decision-making processes, with applications in biomedicine and synthetic biology. His lab develops novel protein design methods validated in cell-based systems, centered on creating synthetic proteins that can detect, modulate, or reprogram signaling pathways through oligomeric assemblies.

Scientific Awards:

• Wübben Foundation Fellow (2025)
• EMBO Postdoctoral Fellowship (2021)
• Roland Ernst Scholarship (2014)
• Germany Scholarship (2013)
• Ferry Porsche Prize (2007)

Collaborations & Grants: Collaborated with Prof. David Baker's lab at the University of Washington and participated in high-impact interdisciplinary projects involving DNA-PAINT microscopy and quantitative protein imaging. His work has been supported by competitive fellowships and institutional grants.