AG Li

Main focus of our research is the functional genomics of secondary metabolites in microorganisms, especially in fungi of ascomycetes and bacteria of actinomycetes. We investigate the biosynthesis of these compounds using different disciplines such as bioinformatics, chemical, molecular biological and biochemical approaches. The genetic information for the biosynthesis of a compound of interest, usually as gene clusters, will be identified by mining of the microbial genomes. The function of the genes and gene clusters will be proven by deletion in the producers and expression in heterologous hosts as well as by biochemical characterization of overproduced proteins. The obtained genetic information is then used for production of designed compounds by chemoenzymatic synthesis and synthetic biology.