Wilfried Schwab

Prof. Wilfried Schwab is a Professor at the Technical University of Munich (TUM), associated with the TUM School of Life Sciences. His research focuses on biotechnological production of natural compounds from plants, particularly secondary metabolites involved in food quality and plant defense mechanisms. He holds a doctorate from the University of Würzburg and has held postdoctoral positions at Washington State University (USA) and Plant Research International (Netherlands). After industry experience at Hoechst AG, he returned to academia, completing his habilitation in 1999 before joining TUM in 2003. He co-founded the startup 4GENE, commercializing biotechnologically produced aromaglucosides.

Educations:

• Doctorate in Food Chemistry, University of Würzburg (1989)
• Postdoctoral Research, Washington State University, USA
• Habilitation in Plant Biochemistry, University of Würzburg (1999)

Research Interests: Schwab's work integrates enzymology, plant genetics, and biotechnology to understand and engineer secondary metabolite pathways. Key areas include glycosyltransferase functions, stress responses, and volatile signaling in plants like Camellia sinensis (tea) and Fragaria (strawberry). His studies bridge fundamental biochemistry with applications in functional foods and agricultural improvement.

Publications Trends: Recent work emphasizes plant defense mechanisms via glycosylation, volatile-mediated interspecies communication, and the genetic basis of cold tolerance. His articles explore how metabolites like apocarotenoids and terpenoids act as signaling molecules under stress conditions.

Awards:

• 1999 Schormüller Prize (GDCh)
• 1995 Chemical Industry Fund Award
• 1990 Lower Franconian Memorial Year Foundation Prize

Advising & Industry: While specific grant details are not listed, his startup 4GENE reflects applied research成果转化. His lab likely focuses on metabolic engineering and plant-microbe interactions.

Labs/Teams: Active in TUM's Plant Biotechnology group, collaborating internationally on projects involving tea (Camellia sinensis), strawberries, and other crop species.