Dr Zeinab Khalil specialises in microbial natural product biodiscovery, integrating metabolomics, genomics and advanced cultivation platforms to discover bioactive molecules for applications in human health, agriculture and environmental sustainability.
Dr Zeinab Khalil is an ARC Future Fellow and internationally recognised expert in microbial natural product biodiscovery, medicinal chemistry and metabolomics at the Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (AIBN), The University of Queensland. She leads BLOOM (Biosustainable Life Out Of Microbes), a research program focused on harnessing microbial diversity for biosustainable innovation in human health, agriculture and environmental sustainability. Her research integrates innovative cultivation platforms, genome mining and advanced analytical technologies to unlock microbial “dark matter” and accelerate the discovery of new bioactive molecules. To date, she has isolated and evaluated more than 350 compounds, including new antibiotics, agrochemicals and other high-value natural products, and has secured more than $6 million in research funding. Her contributions have been recognised through major national and international awards, including the ARC Future Fellowship, Falling Walls Science Breakthrough of the Year, Queensland Tall Poppy Award and multiple innovation and leadership awards. Through strong industry and international collaborations, her work connects fundamental discovery to translational outcomes, with a particular focus on antimicrobial resistance and sustainable bio-based solutions.
Industry
Dr Zeinab Khalil has extensive experience in industry-engaged research across the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and agricultural sectors. She has contributed and managed collaborative projects with partners including Boehringer Ingelheim, Elanco, Merial, Nexgen Plants, Microbial Screening Technologies and BioAustralis, focused on identifying and translating microbial biodiscovery into practical solutions for human health, animal health and crop protection. Her ARC Linkage Project with Boehringer Ingelheim highlights her ability to build impactful academia–industry partnerships, while her broader engagement reflects a strong commitment to advancing microbial innovation toward translational and commercial outcomes.
Collaborations
Dr Zeinab Khalil has established an extensive network of national and international collaborations spanning academia and industry. She collaborates with leading researchers across The University of Queensland and globally, including partnerships with international institutions in Europe, Asia, South America and New Zealand. Her work also involves collaboration with industry and research organisations, including engagement with scientists at Novo Nordisk and other global partners. These collaborations support multidisciplinary approaches integrating chemistry, microbiology, genomics and bioengineering, and are central to advancing microbial biodiscovery toward translational and real-world applications
Funding
Dr Zeinab Khalil has secured approximately $7 million in research funding from competitive national schemes, philanthropy and collaborative research initiatives. Her funding includes an NHMRC Ideas Grant, ARC Future Fellowship, ARC Linkage and ARC LIEF grants, an Australian Academy of Science Thomas Davies Grant, philanthropic support for antibiotic biodiscovery, and major collaborative funding through the Marine Bioproducts CRC. Together, these awards reflect a strong track record in attracting support for research in microbial biodiscovery, antibiotic discovery, enabling infrastructure and translational biosustainable innovation.
Key Publications
Zeinab G. Khalil, Thulasi Sritharan, Angela A. Salim and Robert J. Capon. MATRIX: A Platform for Cultivation Profiling and Bioactive Discovery in Natural Products Research. Frontiers in Natural Products 2025, 1-13.
Zeinab G. Khalil, Timothy A. Hill, Luis M. De Leon Rodriguez, Rink-Jan Lohman, Huy N. Hoang, Norbert Reiling, Doris Hillemann, Margaret Brimble, David Fairlie, Antje Blumenthal and Robert J. Capon. Structure-activity-relationship-guided identification of wollamides with potent activity against drug-resistant and intracellular Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Antimicrobial agents and Chemotherapy, 2019, 63(3), e01773-18/1-e01773-18/13.
Zeinab G. Khalil, Pablo Cruz-Morales, Cuauhtemoc Licona-Cassani, Esteban Marcellin and Robert J. Capon. Inter-Kingdom beach warfare: Microbial chemical communication activates natural chemical defences. The ISME journal, 2019, 13(1), 147-158.
Khalil, Zeinab G.; Salim, Angela A.; Vuong, Daniel; Crombie, Andrew; Lacey, Ernest; Blumenthal, Antje; Capon, Robert J. Amycolatopsins A-C: antimycobacterial glycosylated polyketide macrolides from the Australian soil Amycolatopsis sp. MST-108494, Journal of Antibiotics, 2017, 70(12), 1097-1103.
Tian Qin, Sarah L. Skraba-Joiner, Zeinab G. Khalil, Richard P. Johnson, Robert J. Capon, and John A. Porco, Jr. Atropselective Syntheses of (-) and (+) Rugulotrosin A Utilizing Point-to-Axial Chirality Transfer. Nature Chemistry, 2015, 7, 234-240.