PD Dr. Mathias Schmelcher
PD Dr. Mathias Schmelcher
ZHAW
School of Life Sciences and Facility Management
Fachgruppe Biochemie
Einsiedlerstrasse 31
8820 Wädenswil
Work at ZHAW
Position
Head of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry in co-leadership with Kerstin Gari
Focus
Enzyme-based antimicrobial agents
Teaching
Lecturer in Molecular Biology
Experience
- Private Lecturer
ETH Zurich
02 / 2021 - today - Senior Scientific Advisor
Micreos Pharmaceuticals
11 / 2023 - 05 / 2024 - Senior Assistant
ETH Zürich
04 / 2018 - 03 / 2024 - Chief Scientific Officer (CSO)
Micreos Pharmaceuticals
02 / 2022 - 11 / 2023 - Research Director
Micreos GmbH
01 / 2021 - 01 / 2022 - Postdoctoral Associate
ETH Zurich
04 / 2012 - 04 / 2018 - Research Molecular Biologist (Postdoctoral Associate)
United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)
01 / 2009 - 01 / 2012
Education and Continuing education
Education
- Doctor of Sciences
ETH Zurich
01 / 2004 - 04 / 2008 - Diploma in Biology
Technical University of Munich
09 / 1998 - 12 / 2003
Continuing Education
Habilitation (Venia Legendi in Microbiology)
ETH Zurich
09 / 2020
Network
ORCID digital identifier
Social media
Projects
Publications
Articles in scientific journal, peer-reviewed
- Sabani, B. et al. (2026) 'Targeted delivery of peptidoglycan hydrolases (PGH) via engineered extracellular vesicles (EVs) to clear intracellular bacterial infections', Materials Today Bio, 40(103567). doi: 10.1016/j.mtbio.2026.103567.
- Muangsombut, V. et al. (2026) 'Antibacterial activity and mechanism of phage-pyrogallol synergy targeting Listeria monocytogenes', LWT - Food Science and Technology, 252(119606). doi: 10.1016/j.lwt.2026.119606.
- Saenz-de-Juano, M. D. et al. (2025) 'Mastitis-related Staphylococcus aureus-derived extracellular vesicles induce a pro-inflammatory response in bovine monocyte-derived macrophages', Scientific Reports, 15(1), p. 6059. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-90466-6.
- Roehrig, C. et al. (2024) 'MEndoB, a chimeric lysin featuring a novel domain architecture and superior activity for the treatment of staphylococcal infections', mBio, 15(2), pp. e02540–23. doi: 10.1128/mbio.02540-23.
Oral conference contributions and abstracts
Röhrig, C. et al. (2025) 'Engineered phage lysins : tackling hurdles for clinical application', in The Phage Protein Meeting, Ghent, Belgium, 10-11 September 2025.
Publications before appointment at the ZHAW
- MEndoB, a chimeric lysin featuring a novel domain architecture and superior activity for the treatment of staphylococcal infections
- Systemic application of bone-targeting peptidoglycan hydrolases as a novel treatment approach for staphylococcal bone infection
- CkP1 bacteriophage, a S16-like myovirus that recognizes Citrobacter koseri lipopolysaccharide through its long tail fibers
- Endolysin Inhibits Skin Colonization by Patient-Derived Staphylococcus Aureus and Malignant T-Cell Activation in Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma
- Chimeric Peptidoglycan Hydrolases Kill Staphylococcal Mastitis Isolates in Raw Milk and within Bovine Mammary Gland Epithelial Cells
- A novel surface functionalization platform to prime extracellular vesicles for targeted therapy and diagnostic imaging
- Linker-Improved Chimeric Endolysin Selectively Kills Staphylococcus aureus In Vitro, on Reconstituted Human Epidermis, and in a Murine Model of Skin Infection
- Inflammatory Response of Primary Cultured Bovine Mammary Epithelial Cells to Staphylococcus aureus Extracellular Vesicles
- An Enzybiotic Regimen for the Treatment of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Orthopaedic Device-Related Infection
- Fluorometric Paper-Based, Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification Devices for Quantitative Point-of-Care Detection of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)
- Deimmunization of protein therapeutics - Recent advances in experimental and computational epitope prediction and deletion
- In Situ Nucleic Acid Amplification and Ultrasensitive Colorimetric Readout in a Paper-Based Analytical Device Using Silver Nanoplates
- Bacteriophage endolysins - extending their application to tissues and the bloodstream
- Engineering of Long-Circulating Peptidoglycan Hydrolases Enables Efficient Treatment of Systemic Staphylococcus aureus Infection
- Point-of-care testing system for digital single cell detection of MRSA directly from nasal swabs
- Glycotyping and Specific Separation of Listeria monocytogenes with a Novel Bacteriophage Protein Tool Kit
- Targeting Hidden Pathogens: Cell-Penetrating Enzybiotics Eradicate Intracellular Drug-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus
- Improved Biodistribution and Extended Serum Half-Life of a Bacteriophage Endolysin by Albumin Binding Domain Fusion
- Ultrasensitive and Fast Diagnostics of Viable Listeria Cells by CBD Magnetic Separation Combined with A511:: luxAB Detection
- Synergistic Removal of Static and Dynamic Staphylococcus aureus Biofilms by Combined Treatment with a Bacteriophage Endolysin and a Polysaccharide Depolymerase
- Tracing back multidrug-resistant bacteria in fresh herb production: from chive to source through the irrigation water chain
- Structural insights into the binding and catalytic mechanisms of the Listeria monocytogenes bacteriophage glycosyl hydrolase PlyP40
- Corrected and Republished from: Identification of Peptidoglycan Hydrolase Constructs with Synergistic Staphylolytic Activity in Cow's Milk
- Recombinant Endolysins as Potential Therapeutics against Antibiotic-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus: Current Status of Research and Novel Delivery Strategies
- Dynamics of culturable mesophilic bacterial communities of three fresh herbs and their production environment
- Triple-acting Lytic Enzyme Treatment of Drug-Resistant and Intracellular Staphylococcus aureus
- Bacteriophage endolysins: applications for food safety
- Synergistic streptococcal phage λSA2 and B30 endolysins kill streptococci in cow milk and in a mouse model of mastitis
- Evolutionarily distinct bacteriophage endolysins featuring conserved peptidoglycan cleavage sites protect mice from MRSA infection
- Biochemical and biophysical characterization of PlyGRCS, a bacteriophage endolysin active against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus
- Use of bacteriophage cell wall-binding proteins for rapid diagnostics of Listeria
- Application of bacteriophages for detection of foodborne pathogens
- Chimeric Ply187 endolysin kills Staphylococcus aureus more effectively than the parental enzyme
- Bacteriophage endolysins as novel antimicrobials
- Staphylococcus haemolyticus prophage ΦSH2 endolysin relies on cysteine, histidine-dependent amidohydrolases/peptidases activity for lysis 'from without'
- Staphylococcal phage 2638A endolysin is lytic for Staphylococcus aureus and harbors an inter-lytic-domain secondary translational start site
- Endolysins as antimicrobials
- Chimeric phage lysins act synergistically with lysostaphin to kill mastitis-causing Staphylococcus aureus in murine mammary glands
- Listeria bacteriophage peptidoglycan hydrolases feature high thermoresistance and reveal increased activity after divalent metal cation substitution
- Domain shuffling and module engineering of Listeria phage endolysins for enhanced lytic activity and binding affinity
- Rapid multiplex detection and differentiation of Listeria cells by use of fluorescent phage endolysin cell wall binding domains
- Comparative genome analysis of Listeria bacteriophages reveals extensive mosaicism, programmed translational frameshifting, and a novel prophage insertion site
- The high-affinity peptidoglycan binding domain of Pseudomonas phage endolysin KZ144
- Use of high-affinity cell wall-binding domains of bacteriophage endolysins for immobilization and separation of bacterial cells
- The crystal structure of the bacteriophage PSA endolysin reveals a unique fold responsible for specific recognition of Listeria cell walls
Other publications
- Patent application: WO/2023/166158 (2023), A chimeric endolysin polypeptide
- Patent application: WO/2023/166157 (2023), A chimeric endolysin polypeptide
- Patent application: WO/2023/166155 (2023), A chimeric endolysin polypeptide
- Patent application: WO/2021/213898 (2021), A chimeric endolysin polypeptide
- Patent application: WO/2014/039436 (2014), Staphylococcus haemolyticus prophage ΦSH2 endolysin is lytic for Staphylococcus aureus
- Patent application: WO/2010/020657 (2010), Artificial peptidoglycan lysing enzymes and peptidoglycan binding proteins
- Patent application: WO/2010/010192 (2010), New endolysin PlyP40