Serge has been passionate about science since a very young age, especially how understanding and applying the principles governing natural phenomena and processes can advance human well-being and development. He studied chemistry in Cameroon and Germany. Serge completed his PhD (summa cum laude) in chemistry at the Leibniz Institute of Plant Biochemistry (IPB) and the Martin-Luther University (MLU) in Halle Saale (Germany) under Prof. L. Wessjohann. His PhD focused on the metabolomic analysis, isolation, structure elucidation and synthesis of bioactive compounds from medicinal plants. Later, he joined the Institute of Pharmacy of MLU as a scientific coordinator and lecturer in the Tri-sustain project, a consortium (headed by Prof. Peter Imming and funded by the DAAD/BMBF) between the two German institutions above and three African universities in Botswana, Ethiopia and Tanzania working on bioactive natural products from medicinal plants. He was a fellow of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation at Harvard Medical School (Boston, USA), where he conducted his postdoctoral research under the supervision of Prof. Jon Clardy and investigated natural products from silent biosynthetic gene clusters and microbiome interactions. Since September 2020, he joined the Institute of Pharmaceutical Biology of the Technical University Braunschweig as an independent junior group leader. He is a visiting professor at the Pan African University (a continental initiative of the African Union) since July 2018. 

Serge’s research focuses on the investigation of bioactive complex organic molecules, with a particular emphasis on secondary metabolites that come from medicinal plants and microbial symbionts, because these small molecules continue to serve as the inspiration for new therapeutics. For instance, QS-21 (saponin immunologic adjuvant) is a purified plant extract that is critical for the manufacturing of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine as well as the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine and various vaccines (for HIV, malaria and cancer) in clinical development. It is Serge’s dream that one day he (or his ideas) will be part of an international team of bright scientists that was able to develop a novel approved drug or new therapeutic intervention essential for our society. Of all his scientific accomplishments, Serge is most proud of being part of the Lindau Nobel Laureate meeting and Falling Walls lab (the 100 brightest young minds on the planet in 2014). He is also proud of all the students  from various nations in Africa, Europe, Asia and America he has taught and mentored during his young and still growing scientific adventures. He is also grateful to all his sponsors, mentors and collaborators who made these adventures possible.

When not busy with science, Serge likes travels and sports, expends time with family and friends, reads books or watches movies, and more importantly is a leader in Christian communities.