Michael W. Pfaffl

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.

Michael W. Pfaffl
Born	1965 (age 59–60) Germany
Nationality	German
Alma mater	Technical 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
Fields	Molecular biology, Physiology
Institutions	Technical University of Munich TATAA Biocenter AB (Germany)
Website	www.professoren.tum.de/en/pfaffl-michael

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]

Departure from TATAA Biocenter and ownership dispute

Although there is no official statement of resignation or dismissal, Pfaffl’s profile was removed from the TATAA Biocenter website as of mid-2023. His departure coincided with a legal and corporate dispute following a capital investment by the private equity firm Care Equity. The investment led to an upstream merger that allegedly violated shareholder transfer agreements. In June 2023, founding members, including Professors Michael Pfaffl, Mikael Kubista, Stephen Bustin, Vladimir Benes and Anders Ståhlberg were removed from company governance, and their shares were forfeited.^[9][10]

Reports suggest that Pfaffl lost ownership without compensation as part of the restructuring.^[11][12] Subsequent legal cases focused on issues of negligent legal counsel and allegations of SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation) tactics, sparking controversy within the European molecular diagnostics community.^[13]

Selected publications

Sources:^[14][15][16]

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:^[14][17]

• 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

• Mikael Kubista
• GenEx software
• qPCR
• MIQE guidelines