Tobias W Giessen

Tobias W. Giessen
Associate Professor of Biological Chemistry
Medical School
[email protected]
Available to mentor
Tobias W Giessen
Tobias W. Giessen
Associate Professor
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  • Recent Publications
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  • About

    The Giessen Lab is interested in the structure, function, and engineering of protein organelles, protein machines, and enzyme filaments. Our current focus lies on microbial protein organelles, compartments, and filaments involved in detoxification, nutrient utilization, and natural product biosynthesis, as well as on the discovery and characterization of novel enzyme machines and assemblies involved in the biosynthesis of bioactive compounds. We endeavor to leverage our molecular level insights into large protein assemblies for synthetic biology applications in drug delivery, biocatalysis, and bionanotechnology. Our interdisciplinary work utilizes techniques and approaches spanning the fields of biochemistry, structural biology (cryo-EM and x-ray crystallography), microbiology and synthetic biology.

    Links

    • Giessen Lab Website
    • Tobias W. Giessen - Google Scholar

    Qualifications

    • Postdoctoral Research Fellow
      Harvard Medical School | Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard, Systems Biology, Boston, United States
      2014 - 2018
      Postdoctoral Research
    • Postdoctoral Research Fellow
      Loewe Center for Synthetic Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
      2013 - 2014
      Postdoctoral Research
    • PhD in Biochemistry
      Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
      2010 - 2013
    • Diplom (BS/MS) in Chemistry
      Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
      2005 - 2010

    Recent Publications

    See All Publications
    • Journal Article
      Encapsulins in Terpene Biosynthesis: Enzyme Nanoreactors in Bacterial Secondary Metabolism
      Andreas MP, Giessen TW. Biochemistry, 2026 Jun 9; 65 (2): 137 - 148. DOI:10.1021/acs.biochem.5c00719
      PMID: 41481934
    • Preprint
      A permeable protein nanocage enables facile cargo loading and cytosolic protein delivery
      Kwon S, Andreas MP, Jones JA, Giessen TW. 2026 Apr 11; openRxiv, DOI:10.64898/2026.04.06.716810
    • Preprint
      Directed evolution of multimeric proteins is enabled by dual-compensatory gene duplication.
      Siddiquee R, Lie F, Szyszka TN, Loustau A, Andreas MP, Giessen TW, Lau YH. 2026 Jan 12; DOI:10.64898/2026.01.12.698938
      PMID: 41648261
    • Preprint
      Engineering Spatial Control of Bacterial Organelles.
      Hoang Y, Jadhav PV, Trettel DS, Dow RE, Kwon S, Matej K, Byrne JA, Azaldegui CA, Giessen TW, Pi H, Mosalaganti S, Vecchiarelli AG. 2025 Sep 22; DOI:10.1101/2025.09.22.677801
      PMID: 41040230
    • Journal Article
      Engineering encapsulin nanocages for drug delivery
      Kwon S, Giessen TW. Materials Advances, 2025 Sep 15; 6 (18): 6209 - 6220. DOI:10.1039/d5ma00386e
    • Journal Article
      A Two-Component Pseudo-Icosahedral Protein Nanocompartment with Variable Shell Composition and Irregular Tiling
      Dutcher CA, Andreas MP, Giessen TW. Advanced Science, 2025 Aug 28; 12 (32): DOI:10.1002/advs.202503617
      PMID: 40557621
    • Journal Article
      Encapsulins: catalysis inside a shell
      Fazal A, Giessen TW. Current Opinion in Microbiology, 2025 Aug 1; 86: DOI:10.1016/j.mib.2025.102629
      PMID: 40618468
    • Journal Article
      Structural and Biochemical Characterization of a Widespread Enterobacterial Peroxidase Encapsulin
      Ubilla-Rodriguez NC, Andreas MP, Giessen TW. Advanced Science, 2025 Jun 5; 12 (21): DOI:10.1002/advs.202415827
      PMID: 40167211

    Featured News & Stories

    headshot of Natalia Ubilla-Rodriguez
    Department News

    Congratulations to Natalia Ubilla-Rodriguez, PhD

    Biological Chemistry PhD student Natalia Ubilla-Rodriguez of the Giessen lab defends her doctoral dissertation.
    Headshots of five Biological Chemistry faculty promoted in 2025
    Department News

    Five Biological Chemistry faculty members receive promotions in 2025

    Biological Chemistry faculty members Ryan Baldridge, PhD, Kevin Bohannon, PhD, Lydia Freddolino, PhD, Tobias Giessen, PhD, and Jeremy Schroeder, PhD, have been promoted.
    headshot of Cassandra Dutcher
    Department News

    Congratulations to Cassandra Dutcher, PhD

    Biological Chemistry PhD student Cassandra Dutcher of the Giessen lab at U-M Medical School defends her doctoral dissertation.
    Structure of the filamentous protein cyclodipeptide oxidase AlbAB
    Department News

    The Giessen lab publishes two new papers and receives research awards from the National Science Foundation

    Recent research achievements from the Giessen lab.
    Cutaway view of an self-assembling protein nanocompartment
    Department News

    The Giessen lab publishes a research article in Nature Communications

    The Giessen lab publishes a research article in Nature Communications.