Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB
Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB

Kluger, Petra Prof. Dr.

Director

Prof. Dr. Petra Kluger
© Fraunhofer IGB

As of June 1, 2025, Petra Kluger took up a dual role as Professor of Interfacial Process Engineering at the Institute of Interfacial Process Engineering and Plasma Technology (IGVP) at the University of Stuttgart and as a member of the management board at the Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB.

She studied Technical Biology at the University of Stuttgart and obtained her PhD with a fellowship from the Peter and Traudl Engelhorn Foundation, focusing on cell-interface interactions. After several years as a postdoctoral researcher and group manager at Fraunhofer IGB, she was appointed Head of the Cell Systems Department in 2012. In 2017, she became Professor of Tissue Engineering and Biofabrication at Reutlingen University, where she also served as Vice President from 2018 to 2023.

Her research focuses on biofabrication of functional tissues for applications in both biomedicine and the field of novel food (cultured meat). Her group works on interdisciplinary challenges such as media and biomaterial development, 3D cell culture, biomaterial an bioink design, biofabrication, and scale-up strategies.

In her new roles at the University of Stuttgart and Fraunhofer IGB, she aims to advance biofabrication as a key enabling technology and to bridge the gap between basic research and industrial application. She is also deeply committed to mentoring young scientists and serves on various scientific committees, including as Deputy Chair of the German Society for Biomaterials.

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  • Professional career
    Since 06/2025 Director at the Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB, Stuttgart, and Director of the Institute of Interfacial Process Engineering and Plasma Technology (IGVP) at the University of Stuttgart (W3 professorship)
    11/2017 – 05/2025 Professor (W3) of Tissue Engineering and Biofabrication at Reutlingen University, Germany
    03/2020 – 09/2023 Vice President for Research at Reutlingen University, Germany
    01/2019 – 12/2028 Affiliation with the Faculty of Natural Sciences at the University of Hohenheim, Germany, with the right to award the doctoral degree (Dr. rer. nat.)
    09/2018 – 02/2020

    Vice President for University Development at Reutlingen University, Germany
    11/2013 – 10/2017  Shared Professor (W3) for Tissue Engineering (49%) at Reutlingen University, Germany
    05/2013 – 10/2017 Head of the Cell and Tissue Engineering Department (51%) at the Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial and Bioengineering IGB in Stuttgart, Germany
    05/2009 – 04/2012 Deputy Head of the Cell Systems Department and Group Manager, Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB, Stuttgart

     

    Education and academic career
    08/2016 – 09/2016 DAAD short-term lectureship (scholarship) for teaching biofabrication at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Massachusetts, USA
    10/2010 – 10/2011 Baden-Württemberg Certificate for University Teaching
    (150 hours of continuing education in various areas of teaching)
    07/2009

    Doctoral degree from the University of Stuttgart, Germany; final grade: "summa cum laude”
    05/2006 – 04/2009 Dissertation, University of Stuttgart, Institute of Interfacial Process Engineering, Prof. Dr. techn. Herwig Brunner
    05/2006 – 04/2009  Doctoral scholarship from the Peter and Traudl Engelhorn Foundation
    11/2007 – 11/2008 Postgraduate distance learning course in nanobiotechnology at the University of Kaiserslautern; final grade: “good”
    10/2000 – 04/2006 Study of Technical Biology at the University of Stuttgart, final grade: “excellent”

     

     

    • Tissue engineering
    • Biofabrication
    • Novel Food: cultivated meat, chicken, fish 

    • Deputy Chair of the German Society for Biomaterials
    • Member of the Executive Board of BioMedTech e.V.

  • Publications

    The following list is automatically generated from Fraunhofer Publica.

    The complete list of publications, which also includes publications from Klugers work outside the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, can be found via ORCID. You can also view these on the IGVP website of the University of Stuttgart.

    Jahr
    Year    		Titel/Autor:in
    Title/Author    		Publikationstyp
    Publication Type
    2008 Adhesion, proliferation and differentiation of primary keratinocytes on chemically functionalized nano- and microstructured surfaces
    Schweizer, P.; Borchers, K.; Riester, D.; Wojciukiewicz, D.; Tovar, G.; Mertsching, H.    		 Konferenzbeitrag
    Conference Paper
    2007 Modified surfaces and culture conditions to optimize adult stem cell adhesion, proliferation, differentiation and function
    Mertsching, H.; Schweizer, P.; Schanz, Johanna; Weimer, M.; Brunner, H.    		 Konferenzbeitrag
    Conference Paper
    2007 Adhesion, proliferation and differentiation of primary keratinocytes on chemically functionalized nano- and microstructured surfaces
    Schweizer, P.; Borchers, K.; Wojciukiewicz, D.; Riester, D.; Weimer, M.; Tovar, G.; Mertsching, H.    		 Zeitschriftenaufsatz
    Journal Article
    2007 Studies of cell adhesion and cell differentiation by micro- and nanostructured surfaces
    Schweizer, P.; Weimer, M.; Borchers, K.; Sciarratta, V.; Vohrer, Uwe; Oehr, C.; Brunner, H.; Mertsching, H.    		 Konferenzbeitrag
    Conference Paper
    2006 Verfahren zur Anreicherung von Melanozyten mittels modifizierter Oberflaechen
    Mertsching, H.; Schweizer, P.; Brunner, H.; Oehr, C.; Sciarratta, V.    		 Patent
    Diese Liste ist ein Auszug aus der Publikationsplattform Fraunhofer-Publica

    This list has been generated from the publication platform Fraunhofer-Publica