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.