Overview
Background
Birgitta Ebert’s research focuses on developing biotechnology concepts to address critical challenges such as pollution, climate change and overexploitation of natural resources.
She specializes in improving microbial catalysts for eco-friendly chemical and material production by leveraging metabolic engineering, synthetic biology, systems analysis, and modelling. Her goal is to create microbial cell factories that convert renewable resources and waste into valuable products, reducing reliance on petrochemicals. She collaborates closely with chemists and chemical engineers to enhance the integration of chemical and biological processes for improved efficiency and sustainability.
Birgitta has a background in Chemical Engineering and a PhD in Systems Biotechnology from TU Dortmund University (Germany). She led a research group in Systems Metabolic Engineering at the Institute of Applied Microbiology at RWTH Aachen University (Germany) from 2012 to 2019. In 2016, she expanded her expertise in Synthetic Biology by joining the Keasling lab at the University of California in Berkeley and the Joint BioEnergy Institute in Emeryville (USA).
Since April 2019, she has been at the Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology at the University of Queensland, applying her expertise to engineer microbial cell factories for fermentation-based manufacturing.
Availability
- Dr Birgitta Ebert is:
- Available for supervision
- Media expert
Fields of research
Qualifications
- Doctor of Philosophy, TU Dortmund University
Research interests
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Microbial Biotechnology
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Synthetic Biology
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Systems Metabolic Engineering
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Bioeconomy
Works
Search Professor Birgitta Ebert’s works on UQ eSpace
2017
Journal Article
Comprehensive real-time analysis of the yeast volatilome
Tejero Rioseras, Alberto, Garcia Gomez, Diego, Ebert, Birgitta E., Blank, Lars M., Ibáñez, Alfredo J. and Sinues, Pablo M.-L. (2017). Comprehensive real-time analysis of the yeast volatilome. Scientific Reports, 7 (1) 14236, 14236. doi: 10.1038/s41598-017-14554-y
2017
Journal Article
A comprehensive evaluation of constraining amino acid biosynthesis in compartmented models for metabolic flux analysis
Lehnen, Mathias, Ebert, Birgitta E. and Blank, Lars M. (2017). A comprehensive evaluation of constraining amino acid biosynthesis in compartmented models for metabolic flux analysis. Metabolic Engineering Communications, 5, 34-44. doi: 10.1016/j.meteno.2017.07.001
2017
Journal Article
Fermentation and purification strategies for the production of betulinic acid and its lupane-type precursors in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Czarnotta, Eik, Dianat, Mariam, Korf, Marcel, Granica, Fabian, Merz, Juliane, Maury, Jerome, Jacobsen, Simo A. Baallal, Forster, Jochen, Ebert, Birgitta E. and Blank, Lars M. (2017). Fermentation and purification strategies for the production of betulinic acid and its lupane-type precursors in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Biotechnology and Bioengineering, 114 (11), 2528-2538. doi: 10.1002/bit.26377
2017
Journal Article
Metabolic response of Pseudomonas putida to increased NADH regeneration rates
Zobel, Sebastian, Kuepper, Jannis, Ebert, Birgitta, Wierckx, Nick and Blank, Lars M. (2017). Metabolic response of Pseudomonas putida to increased NADH regeneration rates. Engineering in Life Sciences, 17 (1), 47-57. doi: 10.1002/elsc.201600072
2017
Journal Article
Exploration and exploitation of the yeast volatilome
Ebert, Birgitta E., Halbfeld, Christoph and Blank, Lars M. (2017). Exploration and exploitation of the yeast volatilome. Current Metabolomics, 5 (2), 102-118. doi: 10.2174/2213235X04666160818151119
2016
Journal Article
Metabolic Engineering von Saccharomyces cerevisiaefür die Produktion zyklischer Triterpenoide
Ebert, B. E., Walter, K., Czarnotta, E., Blank, L. M., Förster, J., Lang, C., Knuf, C., Maury, J., Baallal Jacobsen, S. A., Lewandowski, A. and Polakowski, T. (2016). Metabolic Engineering von Saccharomyces cerevisiaefür die Produktion zyklischer Triterpenoide. Chemie Ingenieur Technik, 88 (9), 1393-1393. doi: 10.1002/cite.201650466
2016
Journal Article
Engineering and systems-level analysis of Saccharomyces cerevisiae for production of 3-hydroxypropionic acid via malonyl-CoA reductase-dependent pathway
Kildegaard, Kanchana R., Jensen, Niels B., Schneider, Konstantin, Czarnotta, Eik, Oezdemir, Emre, Klein, Tobias, Maury, Jerome, Ebert, Birgitta E., Christensen, Hanne B., Chen, Yun, Kim, Il-Kwon, Herrgard, Markus J., Blank, Lars M., Forster, Jochen, Nielsen, Jens and Borodina, Irina (2016). Engineering and systems-level analysis of Saccharomyces cerevisiae for production of 3-hydroxypropionic acid via malonyl-CoA reductase-dependent pathway. Microbial Cell Factories, 15 (1) 53. doi: 10.1186/s12934-016-0451-5
2016
Journal Article
The trade-off of availability and growth inhibition through copper for the production of copper-dependent enzymes by Pichia pastoris
Balakumaran, Palanisamy Athiyaman, Foerster, Jan, Zimmermann, Martin, Charumathi, Jayachandran, Schmitz, Andreas, Czarnotta, Eik, Lehnen, Mathias, Sudarsan, Suresh, Ebert, Birgitta E., Blank, Lars Mathias and Meenakshisundaram, Sankaranarayanan (2016). The trade-off of availability and growth inhibition through copper for the production of copper-dependent enzymes by Pichia pastoris. BMC Biotechnology, 16 (1) 20. doi: 10.1186/s12896-016-0251-3
2016
Conference Publication
Metabolic engineering of saccharomyces cerevisiae for cyclic terpenoid production
Ebert, B. E., Czarnotta, E., Walter, K., Knuf, C., Maury, J., Jacobsen, S. A., Lewandowski, A., Polakowski, T., Lang, C., Forster, J. and Blank, L. M. (2016). Metabolic engineering of saccharomyces cerevisiae for cyclic terpenoid production. 11th Metabolic Engineering Conference 2016, Awaji Island, Japan, 26 - 30 June, 2016. New York, NY, United States: AIChE.
2016
Conference Publication
Discovery and evaluation of novel pathways for production of the second generation of biofuels
Tokic, M., Hadadi, N., Ataman, M., Miskovic, L., Neves, P., Ebert, B. E., Blank, L. M. and Hatzimanikatis, V. (2016). Discovery and evaluation of novel pathways for production of the second generation of biofuels. 11th Metabolic Engineering Conference 2016, Awaji Island, Japan, 26 - 30 June, 2016. New York, NY, United States: AIChE.
2016
Conference Publication
Development of mini-bioreactors for evolution of thermotolerance
Lehnen, M., Ebert, B. E. and Blank, L. M. (2016). Development of mini-bioreactors for evolution of thermotolerance. 11th Metabolic Engineering Conference 2016, Awaji Island, Japan, 26 - 30 June, 2016. New York, NY, United States: AIChE.
2015
Conference Publication
Systematic screening of fermentation products as future platform chemicals for biofuels
Ulonska, Kirsten, Ebert, Birgitta E., Blank, Lars M., Mitsos, Alexander and Viell, Jörn (2015). Systematic screening of fermentation products as future platform chemicals for biofuels. 12th International Symposium on Process Systems Engineering and 25th European Symposium on Computer Aided Process Engineering, Copenhagen, Denmark, 31 May - 4 June 2015. Amsterdam, Netherlands: Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/b978-0-444-63577-8.50067-x
2015
Book Chapter
GC-MS-Based Determination of Mass Isotopomer Distributions for 13C-Based Metabolic Flux Analysis
Schmitz, Andreas, Ebert, Birgitta E. and Blank, Lars M. (2015). GC-MS-Based Determination of Mass Isotopomer Distributions for 13C-Based Metabolic Flux Analysis. Hydrocarbon and lipid microbiology protocols: genetic, genomic and system analyses of pure cultures. (pp. 223-243) edited by Terry J. McGenity, Kenneth N. Timmis and Balbina Nogales. Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer Berlin Heidelberg. doi: 10.1007/8623_2015_78
2014
Journal Article
Multi-capillary column-ion mobility spectrometry of volatile metabolites emitted by Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Halbfeld, Christoph, Ebert, Birgitta E. and Blank, Lars M. (2014). Multi-capillary column-ion mobility spectrometry of volatile metabolites emitted by Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Metabolites, 4 (3), 751-774. doi: 10.3390/metabo4030751
2014
Book Chapter
Successful downsizing for high-throughput 13C-MFA applications
Ebert, Birgitta E. and Blank, Lars M. (2014). Successful downsizing for high-throughput 13C-MFA applications. In Jens O. Krömer, Lars K. Nielsen and Lars M. Blank (Ed.), Metabolic flux analysis: methods and protocols (pp. 127-142) New York, NY, United States: Humana Press. doi:10.1007/978-1-4939-1170-7_8
2013
Journal Article
From measurement to implementation of metabolic fluxes
Blank, Lars M. and Ebert, Birgitta E. (2013). From measurement to implementation of metabolic fluxes. Current Opinion in Biotechnology, 24 (1), 13-21. doi: 10.1016/j.copbio.2012.10.019
2012
Journal Article
Flux-P: automating metabolic flux analysis
Ebert, Birgitta E., Lamprecht, Anna-Lena, Steffen, Bernhard and Blank, Lars M. (2012). Flux-P: automating metabolic flux analysis. Metabolites, 2 (4), 872-890. doi: 10.3390/metabo2040872
2011
Journal Article
Response of Pseudomonas putida KT2440 to Increased NADH and ATP Demand
Ebert, Birgitta E., Kurth, Felix, Grund, Marcel, Blank, Lars M. and Schmid, Andreas (2011). Response of Pseudomonas putida KT2440 to Increased NADH and ATP Demand. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 77 (18), 6597-6605. doi: 10.1128/AEM.05588-11
2010
Journal Article
Redox biocatalysis and metabolism: molecular mechanisms and metabolic network analysis
Blank, Lars M., Ebert, Birgitta E., Buehler, Katja and Bühler, Bruno (2010). Redox biocatalysis and metabolism: molecular mechanisms and metabolic network analysis. Antioxidants & Redox Signaling, 13 (3), 349-394. doi: 10.1089/ars.2009.2931
2009
Book Chapter
Energy and cofactor issues in fermentation and oxyfunctionalization processes
Bühler, Bruno, Blank, Lars M., Ebert, Birgitta E., Bühler, Katja and Schmid, Andreas (2009). Energy and cofactor issues in fermentation and oxyfunctionalization processes. The Metabolic Pathway Engineering Handbook: Tools and Applications. (pp. 21-1-21-32) CRC Press.
Funding
Current funding
Past funding
Supervision
Availability
- Dr Birgitta Ebert is:
- Available for supervision
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Supervision history
Current supervision
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Doctor Philosophy
Microbial fatty acid derivative production from CO2-derived C2 intermediates
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Esteban Marcellin
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Doctor Philosophy
Redesigning Carbon Flux: Growth-Coupled Lignin Valorisation and the Emergence of Synthetic Chemolithoheterotrophy in Pseudomonas putida
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Esteban Marcellin
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Doctor Philosophy
Engineering Saccharomyces cerevisiae for triterpenoid production
Principal Advisor
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Doctor Philosophy
Exploiting plant biosynthesis to produce vaccine adjuvants
Principal Advisor
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Doctor Philosophy
Bioengineered lignin conversion into high-performance fibre monomers
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Muxina Konarova
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Doctor Philosophy
Growth coupled lignin monomer conversion to butadiene by engineered Pseudomonas putida
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Muxina Konarova
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Doctor Philosophy
Advancing lignin valorisation: refining sustainable and bio-upgradable mono-phenolics for synthesis of high-performance fibre
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Muxina Konarova, Ms Ping Chen
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Doctor Philosophy
Engineering Eubacterium limosum for Enhanced CO2 Fixation via rational genome-scale
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr James Heffernan, Professor Esteban Marcellin
Completed supervision
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2023
Doctor Philosophy
Novel terpene based agrochemicals: Exploring cytochromes P450 mediated diversification of the strigolactone structure
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Elizabeth Gillam
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2022
Doctor Philosophy
Understanding terpenoid metabolism in cyanobacteria
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Gary Schenk
Media
Enquiries
Contact Dr Birgitta Ebert directly for media enquiries about:
- Bioeconomy
- Industrial Biotechnology
- Metabolic Engineering
- Synthetic Biology
- Systems Biotechnology
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