Dirk Schweitzer (dirkschweitzer(at)gmail.com)

Current

Research & Development Scientist at Draths Corporation, Okemos, MI
Consultant & Translator at Cardax Pharmaceuticals, Aiea, HI

Past

Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN
Postdoctoral Researcher at Emory University, Atlanta, GA
Associate Scientist at the Institute for Molecular Biotechnology, Jena, Germany

Undergraduate Research Student at the Friedrich-Schiller-Universität, Jena, Germany
Summer Research Student at the Hans-Knöll-Institute for Natural Substances Research, Jena, Germany

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Education

University of Washington
The University of Texas at Austin
Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena

University of Notre Dame

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1 more...

Connections

241 connections

Industry

Renewables & Environment

Dirk Schweitzer (dirkschweitzer(at)gmail.com)’s Summary

● I worked out a multi-step chemical process, based on which a pilot plant is now being built.
● Highly motivated, team-oriented, and goal-driven scientist with 8 years of chemistry research and development expertise.
● Creative and analytical problem solver who thrives on new challenges in a fast-paced environment.
● Accomplished the total synthesis of a marine natural product.
● Isolated novel, low-abundant, marine natural products (0.0001 mass % each).
● Extensive hands-on experience and profound knowledge of all classic and modern organic synthesis methods and modern analytical instrumentation.
● Extensive knowledge of the chemical literature. Fluent in English. Native speaker of German. Reading knowledge of Russian.
● Motivated speaker, and excellent communication (oral and written) skills.

Dirk Schweitzer (dirkschweitzer(at)gmail.com)’s Specialties:

● Team Leader
● Organic Synthesis
● Medicinal Chemistry
● Process Chemistry
● Renewable Resources
● Protein Crystallography
● Genomics: Genetic Genealogy & 23andMe/deCODEme for medical information [SNP-disease association studies]

Dirk Schweitzer (dirkschweitzer(at)gmail.com)’s Experience

Research & Development Scientist

Draths Corporation, Okemos, MI

(Renewables & Environment industry)

August 2008 — Present (1 year 4 months)

● Development of efficient chemical transformations to convert fermentation products, which are produced from renewable resources (glucose) as the nutrient, into high-value chemical intermediates that are currently being synthesized from oil.
● Skills and experience developing chemistry of highly oxygenated secondary metabolites.
● Development of novel catalytic processes.
● Based on a multi-step process I worked out, a pilot plant is now being built.
● Experience working in the dynamic environment of a start-up company.
● Supervise technicians.
Consultant & Translator

Cardax Pharmaceuticals, Aiea, HI

(Pharmaceuticals industry)

March 2007 — Present (2 years 9 months)

● Professional scientific consultation service.
● Translation service from German to English.
Postdoctoral Researcher

the University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN

(Educational Institution; 1001-5000 employees; Higher Education industry)

October 2002 — July 2008 (5 years 10 months)

● Completed the total synthesis of the marine natural product iejimalide B.
● Developed improved synthetic routes to target structures.
● Applied the Shiina macrolactonization to the formation of a 24-membered macrolactone, which is the largest ring closed by a Shiina macrolactonization reported to date.
● Established an efficient Pt-catalyzed hydroboration of complex molecules.
● Synthesized iejimalide derivatives to establish structure-activity relationship (SAR).
● Synthesized an iejimalide-fluorophore conjugate which allowed cellular localization study.
● Isolated highly anti-tumor active marine natural products by flash chromatography and HPLC from a crude tunicate acetone extract.
● Trained, guided, and supervised undergraduate research students.
● Took responsibility for maintaining lab equipment and training new graduate students.
● Presented results at meetings and wrote papers.
Postdoctoral Researcher

Emory University, Atlanta, GA

(Educational Institution; 10,001 or more employees; Higher Education industry)

July 2001 — September 2002 (1 year 3 months)

● Synthesized alkylated and phosphorylated nucleosides for use in NMR studies.
● Synthesized linked fluorophore-amine molecules.
● Developed new synthetic routes to target structures.
● Managed database of compounds that were submitted for biological testing.
● Trained, guided, and supervised undergraduate research students.
● Took responsibility for maintaining lab equipment and training new graduate students.
Associate Scientist

the Institute for Molecular Biotechnology, Jena, Germany

(Pharmaceuticals industry)

October 1995 — August 1996 (11 months)

● Crystallized thermolysin mutants.
● Solved and refined protein crystal structures and collected data at a synchrotron.
Undergraduate Research Student

the Friedrich-Schiller-Universität, Jena, Germany

(Research industry)

November 1993 — June 1994 (8 months)

● Synthesized and characterized macrocyclic compounds and their metal complexes.
Summer Research Student

the Hans-Knöll-Institute for Natural Substances Research, Jena, Germany

(Pharmaceuticals industry)

September 1993 — October 1993 (2 months)

● Isolated and purified natural products using HPLC.

Dirk Schweitzer (dirkschweitzer(at)gmail.com)’s Education

University of Washington

Ph.D. , Chemistry , 1996 — 2001

● Synthesized model compounds of the active site of the metalloenzyme nitrile hydratase to study its enzymatic mechanism. These were Fe and Co complexes in a mixed nitrogen/sulfur coordination sphere.
● Designed new ligands and developed new synthetic routes to target structures.
● Presented results at meetings and wrote papers.
● Took responsibility for maintaining lab equipment and training new graduate students.
● Trained, guided, and supervised undergraduate research students.
● Taught organic and introductory classes and laboratories.
The University of Texas at Austin

Research for Diplom-Chemiker (German M.S. in Chemistry) , Organic Chemistry , 1994 — 1995

● Designed and synthesized novel pyrroles, oligopyrroles, and expanded porphyrins.
Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena

Diplom-Chemiker (German M.S. in Chemistry) , Chemistry , 1990 — 1995
University of Notre Dame

Additional Information

Dirk Schweitzer (dirkschweitzer(at)gmail.com)’s Interests:

Chemistry, Science in General, Reading, Running, Traveling, Archaeology, Genetic Genealogy

Dirk Schweitzer (dirkschweitzer(at)gmail.com)’s Groups:

Member, American Chemical Society (ACS)
Member, German Chemical Society (Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker, GDCh)
Member, International Society of Genetic Genealogy (ISOGG)