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Dr. Maik Wolfram-Schauerte, scientist with Prof. Katharina Höfer, LOEWE top professor at SYNMIKRO, the former LOEWE Centre, wins Friedrich Hirzebruch PhD Prize 2025

Dr. Maik Wolfram-Schauerte receives the prestigious Friedrich Hirzebruch PhD Prize for his outstanding research on phage-host interaction. His work opens up new avenues in synthetic biology and the fight against antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Dr. Wolfram-Schauerte is a scientist working with LOEWE top professor Katharina Höfer, a member of the former LOEWE SYNMIKRO Centre and the SYNMIKRO Centre, which is being continued by the University of Marburg, the University of Giessen and the Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology.
His dissertation “From RNA and its NAD-cap: Exploring T4 phage infection from an epitranscriptomic perspective”, carried out at the University of Marburg and the Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, impressed the scientific community. Using interdisciplinary methods, he investigated how bacteria are infected by phages - a finding with far-reaching therapeutic implications.
Particularly noteworthy is his discovery of RNAylation, a new biochemical reaction, and the first specific modification of phage RNA. This research could enable groundbreaking advances in synthetic biology.
Dr. Wolfram-Schauerte's findings are not only theoretically significant, but also practically relevant. They show the immense potential of epitranscriptomic research for the development of new therapies. These new approaches could help to overcome antibiotic resistance by using alternative therapies. “Maik's work represents an important cornerstone for future research in my working group, which I am driving forward as part of my LOEWE top professorship at the Institute of Pharmaceutical Biology and Biotechnology at the University of Marburg,” says Prof. Katharina Höfer about the award-winner's research achievements.