Kurzprofil Prof. Dr. Katharina Scherf
Leiterin der Arbeitsgruppe Food Biopolymer Chemistry
Lise-Meitner-Str. 34
85354 Freising
Germany
Tel.: +49 8161 71-....
My main research interests are the protein composition of food crops and wheat-related disorders, i.e., celiac disease, non-celiac gluten sensitivity and wheat allergy. My mission therefore is to develop new analytical strategies allowing me to study the complex interplay between structure, functionality, immunological and chemosensory activity of food proteins and peptides. I use these fundamental insights to improve food security, food quality and food safety. Our research activities build upon my combined expertise in food chemistry, analytical chemistry, proteomics and immunological assays to study the structure and functionality of proteins.
- Structure-functionality-bioactivity relationships in plant proteins, especially from cereals
- Effects of genetic and environmental variability on protein composition related to improved sustainability, biodiversity and end-use quality
- Development of novel analytical methods for compliance monitoring of gluten-free products
- Proteomics to assess the immunoreactive potential of proteins
- Fundamental mechanisms of (wheat) allergies, non-celiac wheat sensitivity and celiac disease
| 2024 - | Associate Professor (W3), Food Biopolymer Systems, Technical University of Munich (TUM) & Head of Research Group Food Biopolymer Chemistry, Leibniz-Institute for Food Systems Biology at the TUM |
| 2023 – 2024 | Full Professor (W3), Department of Bioactive and Functional Food Chemistry, Institute of Applied Biosciences, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) |
| 2019 – 2023 | Assistant Professor, KIT |
| 2018 | Habilitation and venia legendi in Food Chemistry, TUM School of Life Sciences |
| 2017 – 2019 | Head of the Research Unit Functional Biopolymer Chemistry, Leibniz-Institute for Food Systems Biology at the TUM, Germany |
| 2014 | PhD (Dr. rer. nat., s. c. l.), TUM School of Life Sciences |
| 2012 – 2017 | Research fellow, Leibniz-Institute for Food Systems Biology at the TUM, Germany |
| 2012 | PhD student (research stay, two months), Cereal and Beverage Research Group, University College Cork, Ireland |
| 2009 – 2012 | PhD student, Chair of Food Chemistry and Molecular Sensory Science, TUM, Germany |
| 2023 | Bread senator 2024, Association of German Industrial Bakeries, Germany |
| 2022 | ERC Starting Grant: GLUTENOMICS |
| 2022 | Harald Perten Prize, Int’l Association for Cereal Science & Technology, Austria |
| 2022 | Grant of the Young Investigator Network, KIT, Germany |
| 2020 | Grant of the Young Investigator Network, KIT, Germany |
| 2019 | Science Award, Heinrich-Stockmeyer-Foundation, Germany |
| 2019 | Research Award, German Coeliac Society, Germany |
| 2018 | Young Scientist Research Award, Cereals & Grains Association, USA |
| 2017 | Bernhard-van-Lengerich Research Award, Germany |
| 2015 | Cecil F. Pinney Travel Award, Cereals & Grains Association, USA |
| 2015 | Gerhard-Billek-Prize of the German Chemical Society, Germany |
| 2015 | Scientific Award of the Association of German Industrial Bakeries, Germany |
| 2014 | Research Award, German Coeliac Society, Germany |
| 2013 | “Best Oral Student Paper Award”, Cereals & Europe Spring Meeting, Belgium |
| 2012 | “Best Student Research Paper Competition, 3rd place”, Cereals & Grains Ass., USA |
| 2009 | Jürgen Manchot Prize for an excellent degree in Food Chemistry, Germany |
| 2004 – 2008 | Scholarship according to the Bayerisches Begabtenförderungsgesetz (BayBFG, Bavarian law to promote excellent university entrants), Germany |
| 2021 – | Associate Editor, Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, USA |
| 2021 – | Technical Co-Director, Int’l Association for Cereal Science & Technology, Austria |
| 2020 – 2021 | Leader, Working Group on Therapy, S2k-Guideline Celiac Disease, DGVS, Germany |
| 2020 – 2023 | Scientific Advisory Board, German Coeliac Society, Germany |
| 2020 – 2023 | Representative Speaker of the Young Investigator Network, KIT, Germany |
| 2020 – | Member, DIN Standards Committee Food and Agricultural Products, Germany |
| 2019 – 2020 | Guest Editor, Research Topic “Gluten, from plant to plate”, Frontiers in Nutrition and Frontiers in Plant Science, Switzerland |
| 2019 – 2021 | Associate Editor, Cereal Chemistry, USA |
| 2019 – | Scientific Advisory Board, Association of European Coeliac Societies, Belgium |
| 2019 – | Member, American Chemical Society, USA, & German Chemical Society, Germany |
| 2018 – 2021 | Editorial Advisory Board Member, Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, USA |
| 2018 – | Member, Working Group on Prolamin Analysis and Toxicity, Germany |
| 2017 – | Working Committee for Cereal Chemistry, Association of Cereal Research, Germany |
| 2017 – | Scientific Advisory Board, Assoc. of the Cereal, Milling & Starch Industry, Germany |
| 2017 – | Scientific Advisory Board, Weihenstephan Institute for Cereal Research, Germany |
| 2017 – 2018 | Member of the AOAC International Working Group to develop Standard Method Performance Requirements (SMPRs®) for “Quantitation of Gluten in Oats”, USA |
| 2015 – 2022 | Chair of the Protein & Enzymes Technical Committee, Cereals & Grains Ass., USA |
| 2013 – 2017 | Officer, Protein Division, Cereals & Grains Association, USA |
| 2012 – 2022 | Member, Cereals & Grains Association, USA |
Please see ORCID for full list
- Geisslitz S, Pronin D, Neerukonda M, Curella V, Neufang S, Koch S, Weichert H, Weber H, Börner A, Schuppan D, Scherf KA. Breeding from 1891 to 2010 did not increase the content of amylase/trypsin-inhibitors in wheat (Triticum aestivum). npj Science of Food 2023; 7: 43. doi: 10.1038/s41538-023-00219-w
- Schirmer TM, Ludwig C, Scherf KA. Proteomic characterization of wheat protein fractions taken at different baking conditions. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 2023; 71: 12899-12909. doi: 10.1021/acs.jafc.3c02100
- Gabler AM, Gebhard J, Norwig M-C, Eberlein B, Biedermann T, Brockow K, Scherf KA. Basophil activation to gluten and non-gluten proteins in wheat-dependent exercise-induced anaphylaxis. Frontiers in Allergy 2022; 3: 822554. doi: 10.3389/falgy.2022.822554
- Pronin D, Börner A, Scherf KA. Old and modern wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars and their potential to elicit celiac disease. Food Chemistry 2021; 339: 127952. doi: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2020.127952
- Lexhaller B, Colgrave ML, Scherf KA. Characterization and relative quantitation of wheat, rye and barley gluten protein types by LC-MS/MS. Frontiers in Plant Science 2019; 10: 1530. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2019.01530