Wajeeha Mehak

Curriculum Vitae
10/2024- | Doctoral researcher, Department of Environmental Biotechnology, Helmholtz Center for Environmental Research – UFZ, Leipzig |
02/2024-09/2024 | Research assistant, Department of Ecotoxicology, Helmholtz Center for Environmental Research – UFZ, Leipzig |
2018-2021 | MPhil Microbiology, GC University Lahore |
2014-2018 | BS Microbiology, GC University Lahore |
Research
My PhD project focuses on investigating and characterizing cobalamin-dependent methyltransferase I (MTase I) enzymes, which utilize C1 compounds, such as methanol, as methyl group donors. These compounds can be sustainably produced through the electrochemical reduction of CO₂, offering an eco-friendly alternative to traditional methylation reactions that rely on toxic substrates and heavy metals.
To enable biotechnological applications of methanol-demethylating MTase I enzymes, I will optimize heterologous expression and production conditions, followed by purification to enhance yield and activity. Recombinant MTase I enzymes will then be structurally characterized to identify enzyme-substrate and enzyme-cofactor interactions.
Within the framework of the CoMet project, I am also interested in developing a sustainable and circular biological methylation process using C1 compounds as methyl group donors, which can overcome the limitations of traditional methylation reactions and support the shift toward CO₂-neutral chemical processes.