Susanne Zeilinger studied Microbiology and Genetics at the University of Vienna where she also received her PhD
She gained experience in production and characterization of Trichoderma reesei extracellular proteins during a stay at the VTT Technical Research Center of Finland and pioneered the utilization of molecular biological and genetic engineering tools for the study of Trichoderma species. During a stay as visiting scientist at the Institute of Plant Pathology in Portici, Italy, she extended her knowledge in the field of Trichoderma biocontrol.
At TU-Wien, Austrian, she in 2001 built her own research group in the Research Area of Biotechnology and Microbiology thereby focusing on the elucidation of the molecular mechanisms underlying Trichoderma mycoparasitism. Since 2015, Susanne Zeilinger is full professor of Microbiology at Universität Innsbruck, Austria, where she currently heads the Department of Microbiology. She has been honored with several awards such as from EMBO and APART (Austrian Academy of Sciences), a research prize of the City of Vienna, and FWF grants. Her current research focuses on microbial interactions with a special emphasis on mycoparasitic fungi.
