Dr. Rob Schmitz

I am fascinated by microorganisms and their enzymes and aim to apply them in sustainable ways. In November 2021, I obtained my PhD from Radboud University on the metabolism of extremely acidophilic methane-oxidizing bacteria. Hereafter, I worked for two years as a postdoc at ETH Zurich (Switzerland), where we investigated microbial turnover of carbon in peat soil. Recently, I took up a postdoctoral project within the W-BioCat consortium. This project focuses on the cultivation of an amazing and extreme microorganism that grows optimally at the temperature at which water boils. This microorganism harbours tungsten-containing enzymes that catalyse all kinds of fascinating reactions that can be used to make the chemical industry more sustainable. In my project, we will thoroughly study and characterize these enzymes to grasp their functioning, which will render valuable information needed to apply these enzymes on a large industrial scale.