Professor Benjamin Schulz

Professor

School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences
Faculty of Science
b.schulz@uq.edu.au
+61 7 336 54875
0434298062

Overview

I graduated with a degree in Chemical Engineering and Science in 2000 from The University of Queensland, after which I joined Proteome Systems, an Australian biotechnology company. In 2004 I moved to the ETH Zurich in Switzerland for my doctoral studies. I joined the School of Chemistry & Molecular Biosciences as a University of Queensland Postdoctoral Research Fellow in 2008 and NHMRC Career Development Fellow in 2012. I am now Associate Professor in Biochemistry.

Research Interests

  • Viral Glycobiology
    Glycosylation shields viruses from the immune response and is critical for many of the functions of viral proteins. This is especially important for the respiratory pathogens Influenza virus and SARS-CoV-2. We aim to understand the mechanisms controlling these processes using cell based infection systems, protein structural and biochemical analyses, mass spectrometry glycoproteomics, and bioinformatics to determine their impact on viral biology and vaccine design.
  • Mass Spectrometry Glycoproteomics
    Most proteins are modified with complex sugar groups that affect their function. We develop new mass spectrometry approaches to systematically and globally identify and quantify proteins and their sugar modifications in fundamental biology and disease.
  • Beer
    Beer brewing is perhaps the most ancient biotechnology. We use modern analytical techniques to investigate and improve this complex and important process.

Research Impacts

My research focuses on the mechanisms, biological roles and applications in biotechnology of glycosylation, the most abundant and complex post-translational modification of proteins. Glycosylation is important in biological processes such as human development, cancer and microbial infection. This is because glycosylation is essential in biological activities as diverse as protein folding, fine-tuning protein enzymatic activity and determining protein-protein interactions. Half of all proteins are glycosylated, and a single protein can be modified by hundreds of different sugar moieties. The diversity of glycoproteins therefore requires that we take a systems biology approach in our research. All of our projects use a core set of methods in molecular biology, genetic manipulation, protein biochemistry, glycoprotein analysis and mass spectrometry. I aim to understand the mechanisms controlling glycosylation in these various systems to develop diagnostics, therapies, vaccines and applications in biotechnology.

Qualifications

  • Doctor of Philosophy, University of Zurich
  • Bachelor of Science, The University of Queensland
  • Bachelor of Arts, The University of Queensland

Publications

  • Yu, Chendi K., Stephenson, Christina J., Villamor, Tristan C., Dyba, Taylor G., Schulz, Benjamin L. and Fraser, James A. (2023). SAGA Complex Subunit Hfi1 Is Important in the Stress Response and Pathogenesis of Cryptococcus neoformans. Journal of Fungi, 9 (12) 1198, 1198. doi: 10.3390/jof9121198

  • Pegg, Cassandra L., Modhiran, Naphak, Parry, Rhys H., Liang, Benjamin, Amarilla, Alberto A., Khromykh, Alexander A., Burr, Lucy, Young, Paul R., Chappell, Keith, Schulz, Benjamin L. and Watterson, Daniel (2023). The role of N-glycosylation in spike antigenicity for the SARS-CoV-2 gamma variant. Glycobiology cwad097, 1-13. doi: 10.1093/glycob/cwad097

  • Hakme, Elena, Kallehauge Nielsen, Ida, Fermina Madsen, Jennifer, Storkehave, Lasse Munch, Skjold Elmelund Pedersen, Mette, Schulz, Benjamin Luke, Poulsen, Mette Erecius, Hobley, Timothy John and Duedahl-Olesen, Lene (2023). Fate of pesticide residues in beer and its by-products. Food Additives & Contaminants: Part A, ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print), 1-15. doi: 10.1080/19440049.2023.2282557

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Grants

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Supervision

View all Supervision

Publications

Book Chapter

Journal Article

Conference Publication

  • Zhang, X. Xi, Schulz, B., Walsh, T., Atherton, J., Kostner, K. and Punyadeera, C. (2017). Saliva: linking oral health with heart failure. Heart Failure 2017 and the 4th World Congress on Acute Heart Failure, Paris, France, 29 April - 2 May 2017. Oxford, United Kingdom: John Wiley & Sons.

  • Pegg, Cassandra L., Phung, Toan K. and Schulz, Benjamin L. (2017). Site-specific glycosylation of viral surface proteins using mass spectrometry. Annual Meeting of the Society for Glycobiology , Portland, OR, United States, 05-08 November 2017. Cary, NC, United States: Oxford University Press. doi: 10.1093/glycob/cwx086

  • Tan, Xinle, Deng, Bin, Jiang, Xiaoyin, Zhang, Peng, Hu, Zhenxia, Li, Enpeng, Sullivan, Mitchell A., Schulz, Benjamin L. and Gilbert, Robert G. (2016). Glycogen: Higher -Level Molecular Structure and Diabetes. 12th International Conference on Polysaccharides-Glycoscience, Prague Czech Republic, 19-21 October 2016. Prague Czech Republic: Czech Chemical Society.

  • Zhuang, A., Sourris, K. C, Harcourt, B. E, Penfold, S. A., Fotheringham, A. K., McCarthy, D., Schulz, B. and Forbes, J. M. (2014). Ager1 overexpression in glomerular podocytes results in renal disease which is exacerbated by diabetes. 50th Annual Scientific Meeting of the Australian and New Zealand Society of Nephrology, Melbourne VIC, Australia, 25 - 27 August 2014. Richmond, VIC Australia: Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Asia. doi: 10.1111/nep.12301

  • Tan, Nikki, Bailey, Ulla-Maja, Jamaluddin, Fairuz, Mahmud, Siti, Raman, Suresh and Schulz, Benjamin (2014). Give up sugar with this one weird trick!. Joint Meeting of the Society for Glycobiology (SFG) and the Japanese Society of Carbohydrate Research (JSCR), Honolulu, HI United States, 16-19 November 2014. Cary, NC United States: Oxford University Press. doi: 10.1093/glycob/cwu107

  • Karlsson, NG, Schulz, BL, Wilson, NL and Packer, NH (2004). Exploring the role of the glycosylation of mucins in the defence against pathogens in the respiratory and gastrointestinal systems. Joint Meeting of the Society-for-Glycobiology/Japanese-Society-for-Carbohydrate-Research, Honolulu Hi, Nov 17-20, 2004. CARY: OXFORD UNIV PRESS INC.

Grants (Administered at UQ)

PhD and MPhil Supervision

Current Supervision

  • Doctor Philosophy — Principal Advisor

  • Doctor Philosophy — Principal Advisor

  • Doctor Philosophy — Principal Advisor

  • Doctor Philosophy — Principal Advisor

  • Doctor Philosophy — Principal Advisor

  • Doctor Philosophy — Principal Advisor

    Other advisors:

  • Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor

    Other advisors:

  • Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor

  • Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor

    Other advisors:

  • Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor

  • Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor

  • Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor

    Other advisors:

Completed Supervision