Prof. Dr. Sandy Schmidt is Coordinator and first supervisor of DC2 & DC11. Additionally, she is member of the Diversity & Inclusion committee.
Sandy Schmidt completed her Ph.D. in 2015 in the group of Prof. Uwe Bornscheuer at the University of Greifswald in the field of protein engineering and enzymatic cascade reactions. After a research stay at Delft University of Technology as postdoctoral fellow within the group of Prof. Frank Hollmann, she was working as group leader at Graz University of Technology. In April 2020, Sandy started as a tenure-track Assist. Prof. (Rosalind Franklin Fellow) at the Rijksuniversiteit Groningen within the Groningen Research Institute of Pharmacy at the Dept. of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Biology. In July 2024 she was promoted to Associate Professor (‘adjunct hoogleraar’ with ius promovendi).
Key expertise
Our research harnesses the powerful reactivity and selectivity of enzymes to produce pharmaceutical building blocks and active pharmaceutical ingredients in a more sustainable and resource-efficient manner. We are an interdisciplinary research group working at the intersection of synthetic biology, enzymology, organic chemistry, biocatalysis and biotechnology. Our research is driven by the desire to understand the complex, molecular processes underlying enzyme catalysis and exploit them for sustainable synthesis to address scientific and societal challenges with innovative enzymatic and microbial approaches. For example, we seek to elucidate the tightly controlled mechanisms in redox enzymes and to engineer these processes to increase their applicability. We also aim to contribute to the necessary transition from fossil resources to the recycling of chemical elements, with carbon (compounds) as the central resource. In this context, we are particularly fascinated by the metabolic capabilities of autotrophic microorganisms to utilize C1 compounds for the synthesis of complex molecules. We envision that these autotrophic microbes can be developed into efficient cell factories for CO2-based biotechnology.
Research facilities include laboratories equipped with state-of-the-art equipment for research in fundamental and applied biocatalysis. This includes know-how and equipment for molecular biology with S1-safety (PCR, cloning), cell culture, protein purification (Äkta purifier), organic synthesis (equipment for synthesis under protection gas), analysis (GC, GC/MS, HPLC, LC-MS, NMR), molecular modeling (MD, Yasara), small to lab scale cultivation facilities, a robotic liquid and plate handling station, and crystallization and X-ray analysis, including a high-throughput nano-volume crystallization robot. Several central research facilities are available within the GRIP-UMCG environment, for instance the Interfaculty Mass Spectrometry Center.
Hosting Institution
RUG is an ambitious international research university with strong roots in the north of the Netherlands. RUG creates and shares knowledge through its outstanding research, scholarship and education. With an academic tradition dating back to 1614 and a rich heritage, RUG is a unique academic community with a strong sense of belonging and a culture of innovative education and research. RUG has a strong research program in the life sciences/biotechnology area and is currently in or around the top 100 on several influential ranking lists.
The Chemical and Pharmaceutical Biology Department (CBP) is represented by an enthusiastic group of researchers from different parts of the world. CBP has a strong (inter)national position in the area of enzyme discovery, characterization, promiscuity, engineering, and biocatalysis. A great part of the research projects is done in cooperation with international research labs and industry.
https://www.rug.nl/research/grip/cpb
Contact
s.schmidt@rug.nl
University of Groningen (RUG)
Groningen Research Institute of Pharmacy
Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Biology
Antonius Deusinglaan 1
9713AV Groningen
The Netherlands
http://schmidt-researchgroup.com
https://www.rug.nl/staff/s.schmidt
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8443-8805
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandy-schmidt-7248b5a5/
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Relevant Publications
1. Özgen, F.F., Runda, M.E., Burek, B.O., Wied, P., Bloh, J.Z., Kourist, R., Schmidt, S. Artificial light-harvesting complexes enable Rieske oxygenase-catalyzed hydroxylations in non-photosynthetic cells, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2020, 59, 3982; DOI: 10.1002/anie.201914519; Artifizielle Lichtsammelkomplexe ermöglichen Rieske‐Oxygenase‐katalysierte Hydroxylierungen in nicht‐photosynthetischen Zellen. Angew. Chem. 2020, 132, 4010; DOI: 10.1002/ange.201914519.
2. Li, Y., Osipyan, A., Kok, N. A. W. De, Schröder, S., Founti, M., Merkerk, R. Van, Maier, A., Tischler, D., Schmidt, S. Access to Nitrogen-Nitrogen Bond-Containing Heterocycles through Substrate Promiscuity of Piperazate Synthases. ACS Catal. 2025, 15, 8846−8854. DOI: 10.1021/acscatal.5c01237.
3. Runda, M.E., Miao, H., de Kok, N.A.W., Schmidt, S. Developing Hybrid Systems to Address O2 Uncoupling in Multi-Component Rieske Oxygenases. J. Biotechnol. 2024, 389, 22-29. DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiotec.2024.04.019.