Associate Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Dr.in techn. Heidrun Halbwirth

Institute of Process Engineering, Environmental Engineering and Technical Biosciences, Research Group Phytochemistry and Biochemistry of Natural Products

Habilitated for: Phytochemistry

Homepage (University): https://www.tuwien.at/tch/icebe/e166-06/e166-06-2-phytochemie-und-biochemie-der-naturstoffe

As of 2018             Associate Prof at the Technische Universität Wien

2016-2018              Assistant Prof at the Technische Universität Wien

2004-2016              Project assistant at the Technische Universität Wien, AT

2012-2014              Lecturer at University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna

October 2010        Top three shortlist for a professorship at the Technical University of Munich Freising (Biotechnology of horticultural plants)

2002-2004              Post Doc, Technische Universität Wien, Institute of Chemical Engineering

As of 2001             Lecturer at the Technische Universität Wien, AT

1999-2002              Post Doc, Technische Universität Wien, Institute of Applied Botany, AT

1. Post-Doc, Technische Universität München Freising Weihenstephan, Chair of Ornamental Plants and Plant Breeding, DE (Univ. Prof. Dr. Gert Forkmann)

1994-1997              PhD student, Technische Universität Wien, Institute of Applied Botany, AT

MAIN AREAS OF RESEARCH

Secondary metabolism in plants: Our research focuses on the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites of renewable resource crops, ornamentals and horticultural crops at the level of metabolites, enzymes and genes. This covers different aspects from the identification of compounds, elucidation of pathways, discovery and characterization of novel enzymes and genes, to investigations of their physiological relevance. A particular focus is placed on plant pigments, because colouration is generally an important, eye-catching trait attracting the consumer’s interest in many fields, such as textiles, foods and flowers, and pigmentation has long served as an exemplary model for the establishment of fundamental scientific knowledge, taking advantage of the simple and rapid detection allowing a transfer to other traits and pathways.