Michael W. Pfaffl

Michael W. Pfaffl
Born1965 (age 59–60)
Germany
Alma materTechnical University of Munich
Known for
  • Quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR)
  • MIQE guidelines
  • Extracellular vesicles
  • Gene expression normalization
Awards
  • Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Medal (2019)
  • Milk Scientific Innovation Award (2019)
  • Best PhD Supervisor Award (2018)
  • SciVerse Scopus Award (2012)
  • Habilitation Award (2003)
Scientific career
FieldsMolecular biology, Physiology
InstitutionsTechnical University of Munich
TATAA Biocenter AB (Germany)
Websitewww.professoren.tum.de/en/pfaffl-michael

Michael W. Pfaffl (born 1965) is a German physiologist and molecular biologist known for his work in quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR), molecular diagnostics, and extracellular vesicle research. He is a professor at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and formerly held senior scientific leadership positions at the German division of TATAA Biocenter AB.

Education

Pfaffl began studying Agriculture and Animal Science at the Technical University of Munich in 1986.[1] He later specialized in biotechnology and molecular biology and earned his PhD in 1997 with a dissertation on molecular muscle and growth physiology. In 2003, he completed his habilitation in Physiology, fulfilling the requirements for a professorship under the German academic system.[2]

Career

Academic career

Pfaffl began his academic career in 1986 at the Technical University of Munich. In 2010, he was appointed Professor of Molecular Physiology at the TUM School of Life Sciences, located in Freising-Weihenstephan. His academic work focused on gene expression analysis, molecular diagnostics, extracellular vesicles, and the statistical and methodological refinement of qPCR techniques.[3]

Pfaffl has published over 380 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters. His scientific contributions have been cited more than 105,000 times as of 2025, and he has achieved an h-index of 67.[4] His work has influenced global standards in molecular quantification, including normalization procedures, MIQE compliance, and data integrity in nucleic acid-based assays.[5]

Role at TATAA Biocenter

In 2015, Pfaffl joined the German branch of TATAA Biocenter AB as Corporate Officer and Principal Scientist. He was involved in both the executive and scientific leadership of the company, where he contributed to strategic planning, scientific innovation, and education. His work helped shape the company’s direction in qPCR research, assay development, and quality control in molecular diagnostics.[6]

At TATAA, he led the design of qPCR workflows used by pharmaceutical and biotech companies and ensured that training and service offerings adhered to the Minimum Information for Publication of Quantitative Real-Time PCR Experiments (MIQE) guidelines.[7]

Pfaffl chaired and coordinated international conferences, including qPCR 2010 in Vienna, qPCR 2011, and qPCR & NGS 2013 in Freising-Weihenstephan. In parallel, he promoted the use of GenEx software for qPCR analysis, endorsing its compliance with MIQE and other quality standards.[8]

Selected publications

Sources:[9][10][11]

Title Journal / Year Citations
A new mathematical model for relative quantification in real-time RT–PCR Nucleic Acids Research, 2001 39,000+
The MIQE guidelines: minimum information for publication of qPCR experiments Clinical Chemistry, 2009 17,000+
Relative expression software tool (REST©) Nucleic Acids Research, 2002 8,700+
BestKeeper tool for housekeeping gene validation Biotechnology Letters, 2004 5,600+
RNA integrity and qRT-PCR performance Molecular Aspects of Medicine, 2006 2,000+

Awards

Sources:[9][12]

  • Habilitation Award from the H. Wilhelm Schaumann Foundation (2003) – For distinguished achievements in postdoctoral research and education.
  • SciVerse Scopus Award (2012) – Acknowledging significant scientific publications and citation performance.
  • Best PhD Supervisor Award (2018) – Awarded by the TUM Graduate School Weihenstephan for outstanding mentorship in doctoral studies.
  • Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Medal (2019) – Conferred by the Technical University of Munich (TUM) in recognition of exceptional scientific contributions.
  • Milk Scientific Innovation Award (2019) – Celebrating advancements in dairy science and molecular physiology.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Cover legend: Michael W. Pfaffl; a member of The Editorial Academy of The International Journal of Oncology" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2024-06-06.
  2. ^ "Pfaffl_Michael". www.professoren.tum.de. Retrieved 2025-08-02.
  3. ^ "qPCR 2011 Event in Freising-Weihenstephan – eConferences". 2013-04-16. Retrieved 2025-08-02.
  4. ^ "Google Scholar". scholar.google.com. Retrieved 2025-08-03.
  5. ^ "INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ONCOLOGY" (PDF).
  6. ^ "Experiences of Michael Pfaffl: Current and past positions - MarketScreener". www.marketscreener.com. Retrieved 2025-08-02.
  7. ^ "qPCR dPCR & NGS 2019 - qPCR and NGS Application Workshops". gene-quantification.de. Retrieved 2025-08-02.
  8. ^ "TATAA and MultiD Launch GenEx 6". Genomics Research from Technology Networks. Retrieved 2025-08-02.
  9. ^ a b valerie.lim (2025-01-06). "Prof. Dr. Michael Pfaffl". TUM Asia. Retrieved 2025-08-02.
  10. ^ "MediFind". www.medifind.com. Retrieved 2025-08-02.
  11. ^ "Michael Pfaffl". Technical University of Munich. Retrieved 2025-08-02.
  12. ^ "Research Awards". www.ls.tum.de. 2025-03-13. Retrieved 2025-08-02.
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