Shared Professor: NMI scientist Dr. Xin Xiong takes up teaching position at Reutlingen University
The NMI and Reutlingen University are further strengthening their cooperation. On October 1, 2025, Dr. Xin Xiong, group leader of Biopolymers & Interfaces at the NMI, was appointed to the newly created professorship for Microbiology and Hygiene at the university's Faculty of Life Sciences. He will teach there on a part-time basis (approximately 50 percent) while continuing to work as group leader at the NMI.
“Providing practical insights”
“I am very much looking forward to my new role as Shared Professor of Microbiology and Hygiene,” says Prof. Dr. Xin Xiong. “My goal is to provide students with practical insights into the industrial translation of innovative technologies and to promote interdisciplinary thinking – from basic research to clinical application.”
Building bridges between science and practice
Prof. Dr. Karsten Rebner, Dean of the Faculty of Life Sciences, emphasizes the importance of the appointment for the university: “With Prof. Dr. Xiong, we are not only gaining an excellent researcher, but also someone who builds bridges between science and practice.”
NMI Director Prof. Dr. Katja Schenke-Layland is also delighted with the appointment: “This bridge professorship will further intensify our already close cooperation with Reutlingen University. Both of our research institutions always focus on practical applications, which opens up special opportunities for cooperation. I congratulate Xin Xiong, for whom this appointment is also a personal success!”
Biomaterials, surface interactions, and drug delivery systems
As part of his teaching at the university, Prof. Dr. Xiong will link current topics in microbiology and hygiene with application-oriented issues in biomaterials, surface interactions, and innovative drug delivery systems. A particular focus will be on the microbiological and hygienic requirements that are crucial for the safe use of such systems in the life sciences and medical technology.
The courses will be integrated into the bachelor's programs in Biomedical Sciences and Biomechatronics as well as the master's program in Biomedical Sciences, providing students with practical knowledge of regulatory requirements, hygiene design, and quality standards. In addition, Prof. Dr. Xiong will supervise theses and practice-oriented research projects in order to involve students in current research and applied hygiene concepts at an early stage.
Research at the interfaces between biological systems and biomaterials
Dr. Xin Xiong has been working at the NMI since 2011 and has been a group leader since 2017. He studied at the University of Stuttgart and earned his doctorate there on the functional characterization of type I collagen. His research interests include collagen-based biomaterials and regenerative medicine, biofunctionalization of medical/hygienic surfaces and characterizations, and biotechnological processes. At the NMI, he primarily conducts research at the interface between biological systems and biomaterials. His goal is to functionalize surfaces in a targeted manner – for example, through improved biocompatibility or antimicrobial properties. In addition, his team develops analytical methods as well as innovative biopolymers and nanomaterials in order to scientifically evaluate new technologies and products and make them certifiable for regulatory purposes.
