Prof. Dr. Rebecca Buller is supervisor of DC1 & DC7. Additionally, she is member of the Diversity & Inclusion committee.
Rebecca Buller studied chemistry at the Westfälische-Wilhelms Universität Münster (D) and the University of California Santa Barbara (US). After completing her PhD with a focus on enzyme engineering with Prof. Donald Hilvert at the ETH in Zurich (CH), Rebecca accepted a position as laboratory head at the flavour and fragrance company DSM-Firmenich (CH). In 2015 she relocated to the Zurich University of Applied Sciences where she founded the Competence Center for Biocatalysis (CCBIO) and led the Center for Biocatalysis, Environmental and Process Technology. In 2025, Rebecca joined the University of Bern as a Full Professor of Organic Chemistry.
Key expertise
Our research combines knowledge of enzyme structure and mechanism with modern computational and bioinformatic tools to tailor biocatalysts for application. We work with newly sourced or engineered enzymes (including α-ketoglutarate dependent dioxygenases and halogenases) for the manufacturing of pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals and other high-value compounds, advancing the ‘green chemistry’ paradigm by replacing traditional chemical routes with enzyme-based ones. In addition, we integrate machine learning and automation into enzyme-engineering workflows, in this way accelerating the design-build-test cycle of biocatalyst development. Overall, our key expertise lies in bridging academic enzyme design and practical industrial biocatalysis, enabling complex transformations under mild, resource-efficient conditions.
The research facilities are equipped with state-of-the-art instrumentation for both fundamental and applied biocatalysis. They include molecular biology laboratories with S1 safety, cell culture capabilities, and systems for protein purification (ÄKTA). Additional resources support organic synthesis under protective gas, as well as comprehensive analytical platforms such as GC, GC/MS, HPLC, LC/MS, and NMR. The facilities also feature molecular modeling and structure visualization tools. Enzyme engineering efforts are supported by a tailored automation platform. Moreover, researchers have access to several central research facilities within the UniBe environment, such as the Mass Spectrometry Center and NMR service.
Hosting Institution
The University of Bern is the third largest university in Switzerland and was ranked 104 in the 2025 Times World Universities Rankings. With almost 20,000 students, UniBe offers a vibrant environment set within the city centre of Bern, minutes from the train station and very well served by public transport.
The positions will be hosted within the Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences (DCBP) (https://www.dcbp.unibe.ch/index_eng.html), a highly interdisciplinary department that brings together diverse research groups and houses state-of-the-art facilities, including X-ray, NMR, and advanced mass spectrometry instrumentation. The DCBP places a strong emphasis on sustainability, with catalysis in its various forms serving as a central research theme across many laboratories. In 2025, the department took a significant step toward integrating biocatalysis within the organic chemistry domain, dedicating an entire floor of the building to the laboratories of Professors Paradisi and Buller.
Contact
rebecca.buller@unibe.ch
University of Bern (UniBe)
Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences
Freiestrasse 3
3012 Bern
Switzerland
https://www.linkedin.com/https://www.dcbp.unibe.ch/ueber_uns/personen/prof_dr_buller_rebecca/index_ger.html
https://www.dcbp.unibe.ch/ueber_uns/personen/prof_dr_buller_rebecca/index_ger.html
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5997-161
Relevant Publications
D. Graber, P. Stockinger, F. Meyer, C. Horn, S. Mishra and R. Buller, Resolving data bias improves generalization in binding affinity prediction. Nat Mach Intell 2025, 7, 1713–1725. https://doi.org/10.1038/s42256-025-01124-5
D. Patsch*, T. Schwander*, M. Voss*, D. Schaub, S. Hüppi, M. Eichenberger, P. Stockinger, L. Schelbert, S. Giger, F. Peccati, G. Jiménez-Osés, M. Mutný, A. Krause, U. Bornscheuer, D. Hilvert and R. Buller, Enriching productive mutational paths accelerates enzyme evolution, Nat Chem Biol 2024.
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41589-024-01712-3
R. Buller, S. Lutz, R. Kazlauskas, R. Snajdrova, J. Moore and U. Bornscheuer, From Nature to Industry: Harnessing Enzymes for Biocatalytic Processes, Science 2023, 382 (6673) eadh8615. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.adh8615
J. Büchler, S. Honda Malca, D. Patsch, M. Voss, N. Turner, U. Bornscheuer, O. Alleman, C. Le Chapelain, A. Lumbroso, O. Loiseleur and R. Buller, Algorithm-aided engineering of aliphatic halogenase WelO5* for the asymmetric late-stage functionalization of soraphens, Nat Commun 2022, 13, 371.