Speaker Series
Join us for an engaging Speaker Series event featuring Dr. Julia C. Reisenbauer. This talk will explore how enzymes, nature’s powerful catalysts, can be repurposed and engineered to perform new chemical transformations beyond their natural roles. Dr. Reisenbauer will share how concepts such as catalytic promiscuity and directed evolution are expanding what is possible in enzyme-driven chemistry and opening new pathways for synthetic applications.
Short Abstract:
Enzymes are Nature’s catalysts, evolved to construct and break down chemical molecules with remarkable efficiency and selectivity. While their activities are shaped by natural selection, many enzymes exhibit promiscuous functions that provide starting points for synthetic applications. By leveraging fundamental concepts such as catalytic promiscuity and directed evolution, we repurpose and engineer these biocatalysts to perform non-native transformations, thereby expanding the accessible chemical space.
Bio:
Dr. Julia C. Reisenbauer has been an Assistant Professor in the field of biocatalysis and protein engineering at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) since February 2026, where her research group investigates how synthetic chemical methodologies can be replaced and further advanced through the use of engineered enzymes. After completing her doctoral studies in organic chemistry at ETH Zurich as an SSCI fellow, she pursued postdoctoral research in enzyme engineering at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) as an SNSF Postdoc. Mobility fellow. She has now returned to Austria to establish her own interdisciplinary research group at the interface of synthetic chemistry and biocatalysis.
Registration Link:
Event is free for AESA members. A donation of $10 is suggested for non-members.
Event Details
Date: Tuesday, July 21, 2026
Time: 7:00 PM
Location: 326 Mira Loma Ave. Glendale, CA 91206
Light refreshments will be provided.
Event is free for AESA members. A donation of $10 is suggested for non-members.