The Technical University of Munich (TUM) is strengthening its research at the interface of artificial intelligence and the life sciences through the appointment of Prof. Thomas Schlichthärle to a newly established professorship in “AI-guided Protein Design” at the TUM School of Natural Sciences, Department of Bioscience.
This international tenure-track appointment was supported through the new “Appointment Accelerator” program of the Wübben Stiftung Wissenschaft, which aims to bolster the recruitment of internationally outstanding researchers to German universities. The program provides up to €400,000 in additional funding for the professorship and evaluates not only scientific excellence but also the university’s onboarding and dual-career support structures.
Before his appointment at TUM, Thomas Schlichthärle conducted research at the renowned Institute for Protein Design under Nobel Laureate David Baker at the University of Washington in Seattle and held positions at the Max-Planck Institute of Biochemistry and at the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard. His research focuses on computational protein design to precisely manipulate cellular signalling. Potential applications range from novel cancer immunotherapies to the targeted control of stem cell fate.
The award ceremony also included an in-depth exchange between TUM and the Wübben Foundation, where strategies were discussed for attracting highly qualified researchers working abroad to Germany and retaining them in the long term. The appointment of Prof. Schlichthärle serves as a compelling example: it demonstrates how targeted investment and outstanding research conditions can facilitate such a return and how the tenure-track model opens clear long-term career perspectives.
With this new professorship in AI-guided Protein Design, the TUM School of Natural Sciences is strengthening its position as a leader in interdisciplinary innovation bridging AI, protein design, and biomedical science.
Further information and links:
- Wübben Foundation, Article: First support for international tenure-track appointments
- Prof. Thomas Schlichthärle, Professorship for AI-Guided Protein Design
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