Team

Team Leader

Prof. Dr. Meike Nicole Leiske

E-Mail: meike.leiske(at)uni-bayreuth.de

Phone: +49 (0)921 55 4440
Building NWII 4.1.00.363

Hobbies: traveling, photography, swimming

Postdoctoral researchers

Dr. Theresa Lutz

Degree: Dr. rer. nat. (biochemistry)

Topic: Polymeric additives to enhance microplastic degradation

E-Mail: theresa.lutz(at)uni-bayreuth.de

Phone: +49 (0)921 55 2234 (office)

Room: B6 - 03 (office) and B6 - 04 (laboratory)

                                             Hobbies: nature walks, knitting, sudoku

 PhD candidates

Jonas De Breuck

Degree: M.Sc. Chemistry ((bio)organic and polymer chemistry)

Topic: Development of novel, zwitterionic polymer materials

E-Mail: jonas.de-breuck(at)uni-bayreuth.de

Phone: +49 (0)921 55 2302 (office) and 2300 (laboratory)

Room: B6 - 07 (office) and B6 - 01 (laboratory)

Hobbies: mini soccer, jogging, fitness

Jiaxin Hu

Topic: Polymer nanostructures by polymerisation-induced self-assembly

E-Mail: jiaxin1.hu(at)uni-bayreuth.de

Phone: +49 (0)921 55 2234 (office)

Room: B6 - 03 (office) and B6 - 05 (laboratory)

Hobbies: badminton, reading, bouldering

Technical staff

Martina Fried

Main responsibilities: Lab management, chemical synthesis

E-Mail: martina.fried(at)uni-bayreuth.de

Phone: +49 (0)921 55 2302 (office) and 2300 (laboratory)

Room: B6 - 07 (office) and B6 - 01 (laboratory)

Hobbies: yoga, making music, gardening, reading

Bachelor and Master Students

Elisa-Maria Bachinger (B.Sc. Biochemistry student): Bachelor thesis on the biocompatibility of polymer additives and their effect on microplastics

Interested in joining the group? We are always looking for interested and highly motivated Bachelor and Master students.

Please have a look at our "Vacancies" section for potential projects.

Alumni

2025

​Lena Rother (M.Sc. Biochemistry & Molecular Biology student): Student assistant working on the characterisation of polycations

Simon Bäumer (M.Sc. Polymer Science student): Student internship working on polymeric additives

Elisa-Maria Bachinger (B.Sc. Biochemistry student): Student assistant working on the synthesis and characterisation of polymeric additives

Christian Jahns (M.Sc. Polymer Science student): Student assistant and internship working on the synthesis of amino-acid-derived polyelectrolytes

Samuel Mertlbauer (M.Sc. Polymer Science student): Student assistant working on the synthesis of poly-2-oxazolines and internship working on polymeric additives

Maria Müller (B.Sc. Biochemistry student): Bachelor thesis on the synthesis of amino-acid-derived polyelectrolytes

Katja Schumann (M.Sc. Polymer Science student): Student assistant working on the synthesis of poly-2-oxazolines

Johannes Zenkel (B.Sc. Biochemistry student): Bachelor thesis on the synthesis of zwitterionic nanoparticles

2024

​Natascha Herzog (B.Sc. Biochemistry student): Bachelor thesis on protein interactions of polyzwitterions

Jiaxin Hu (M.Sc. Polymer Science student): Master thesis on the importance of charge distribution for the properties of polyelectrolytes

Lena Rother (B.Sc. Biochemistry student): Bachelor thesis and student assistant on the development of anionic copolymers with tailored hydrophilicity and charge distribution

Katja Schumann (B.Sc. Chemistry student): Bachelor thesis and student assistant on the development of thermoresponsive poly-2-oxazolines and poly-2-oxazines

Max Künzel (B.Sc. Biochemistry student): Research project on the synthesis and characterisation of amphiphilic polyzwitterions

Bianca Zitzmann (M.Sc. Natural Products & Drug chemistry student): Research project on the development and properties of amino-acid-derived polyzwitterions

2023

M. Alexander Methfessel (B.Sc. Chemistry/teaching student): Bachelor thesis on the Development of zwitterionic (co)polymers from amino acids

Jan-Luca von Oepen (M.Sc. Polymer science student): Research project on the synthesis of dual-responsive core cross-linked micelles

Jessica Häfele (M.Sc. Polymer science student): Research project on the synthesis and characterisation of zwitterionic polymers via post-polymerisation modifications

Natascha Herzog (B.Sc. Biochemistry student): Student assistant working on the synthesis of amino-acid-derived polyanions

Katja Schumann (B.Sc. Chemistry student): Student assistant working on the synthesis of glutamate-derived polymers