The Origin of the Association
The Arren Bar-Even Association for Synthetic Metabolism was founded by scientists who came together in the Systems and Synthetic Metabolism Lab led by Arren Bar-Even at the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology in Potsdam, Germany. The lab was active from 2015 to 2023 and served as a vibrant hub for innovation in the field of synthetic metabolism, with a special focus on optimizing one-carbon assimilation in microbes.
When the lab came to a close in 2023, its members felt the strong desire to preserve the unique scientific and personal connections they had built. From this shared commitment, the association was born. Its mission is to foster collaboration, exchange, and continued innovation among former lab members and the wider scientific community, particularly those working at the intersection of synthetic biology, metabolic engineering, and systems biology.
We are united by the belief in open, equal, and collaborative science, values that were deeply embedded in the culture of Arren’s lab. Our goal is to amplify the scientific impact of this community and to support a new generation of researchers inspired to understand and redesign metabolism.
About Arren Bar-Even
Arren was a visionary scientist whose work fundamentally reshaped how we think about metabolism. Born in Haifa, Israel, he studied at the Technion and completed his M.Sc. with Yitzhak Pilpel and Naama Barkai at the Weizmann Institute of Science. After leading R&D at the biotech startup SegaChem, he returned to academia to pursue a Ph.D. with Ron Milo, where he produced a series of groundbreaking meta-analyses on the logic of metabolic pathways.
In 2015, Arren established an independent Max Planck Research Group in Potsdam, where his work focused on synthetic carbon fixation, formate and methanol assimilation, and the redesign of photosynthetic pathways. His unique ability to integrate theoretical insights with practical engineering solutions led to the conception of novel metabolic pathways, many of which laid the foundation for synthetic approaches to carbon-neutral bioproduction.
Arren's ambition to contribute to a circular carbon economy drove much of his work. He explored alternative forms of CO₂ fixation, designed non-native photorespiration bypasses, and envisioned replacing the Calvin-Benson cycle with more efficient synthetic routes in plants. Alongside these ambitious projects, he sought to uncover the fundamental design principles of metabolism, believing that synthetic rewiring of central pathways could reveal profound insights into how life operates at a biochemical level.
But Arren was more than a pioneering scientist, he was a mentor, friend, and an inspiration. His enthusiasm, humility, and generosity left a lasting impact on everyone he worked with.
The Team
Meet us - the board members of the association. Together we manage the association, organise the symposium and plan the online seminar series.
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Jenny Bakker
Community Representative
Engineering efficient microbial cell factories could provide a sustainable alternative to produce chemicals, but we need to better understand them. My research focuses on energy conservation in microorganisms and how we could improve it. To improve energy conservation, we combine metabolic engineering strategies with laboratory evolution and modelling. Besides working in the lab, I love to enjoy nature while I am doing sports.
Jan Lukas Krüsemann
Community Representative
Understanding and applying the power of biology for a circular bioeconomy absolutely fascinates me. Within my research, I engineer microorganisms that can convert CO₂-based substrates into bulk chemicals that are normally produced from crude oil. When I'm not in the lab, I'm interested in climate activism, organizing all kinds of Firlefanz or simply appreciating nature whether it is in my backyard or on hikes around the world.
Sebastian Wenk
Treasurer
I am a cross‐disciplinary scientist fascinated by the vast diversity of microbial life and metabolic processes. My research addresses humanity’s most pressing challenge, climate change, by harnessing computational and synthetic biology to engineer enzymes and microbial strains capable of assimilating CO₂ or CO₂-derived substrates for biomass formation and the biosynthesis of value-added products.
After studying molecular, synthetic and structural biology, I pursued a PhD and a postdoc in the group of Arren Bar-Even, a pioneer in the field of synthetic one carbon metabolism at the Max-Planck Institute of molecular plant physiology in Potsdam. There, my work focused on engineering and evolution of synthetic formate assimilation pathways. My PhD work led to the creation of the first synthetic E. coli strain that can grow on formate at ambient conditions via the Serine Threonine Cycle.
To advance molecular toolkit development for industrial biotechnology, I then secured a Marie Skłodowska-Curie postdoctoral fellowship in Prof. Víctor de Lorenzo’s laboratory, renowned for its innovations in microbial genetic engineering.
Since 2025, I am Assistant Professor of Biotechnology at the University of Groningen, where I direct the Sustainable and Synthetic Metabolism (SSM) Lab. Here, we integrate in silico design, enzyme engineering, and adaptive evolution to build robust microbial platforms for sustainable carbon capture and biomanufacturing.
Lena Hümmler
Treasurer
As a metabolic engineer with a background in molecular microbiology, I am currently working on engineering pyruvate auxotrophy in E. coli for growth-coupling applications. I am fascinated and passionate about synthetic biology and its applications because I believe it has the potential to contribute to addressing today's global challenges.
Leonard Westphal
Seminar Coordinator
Hi, I’m Leo, a trained molecular biologist. I value the small things in life. My main task in our association is to ensure our biweekly meetings run smoothly and that presentation abstracts come with just the right hint of broccoli flavor.
Karin Schann
Digital Infrastructure
Combining rational design and evolutionary strategies is in my opinion the key for efficient Metabolic Engineering. I find it fascinating how evolution finds solutions we might never have imagined.