Rate My Professor Rhys Grinter

Dr Rhys Grinter is a Grimwade Research Fellow and Head of the Grinter Laboratory in the Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology at the University of Melbourne. He leads research focused on the molecular physiology of microbial pathogens, employing structural biology, molecular cell biology, chemical biology, and multi-omics approaches to understand microbial physiology at the molecular level and develop strategies to combat bacterial disease as well as new tools for industrial biotechnology. Originally from South Australia, Dr Grinter completed an honours degree in Biotechnology at Flinders University and earned his PhD from the University of Glasgow. He relocated to Monash University in 2015, where he worked as a research fellow before founding his independent laboratory in 2021 and subsequently moving to the University of Melbourne, where he is based at the Bio21 Institute.

Dr Grinter’s work includes key contributions to understanding how microbes utilise atmospheric gases and the development of AI-designed proteins to target drug-resistant bacteria. In 2025, he received a CSL Centenary Fellowship to advance AI-based protein design for modulating LGR-GPCRs involved in various diseases. His research has resulted in publications in high-impact journals, including a 2023 Nature paper on microbial hydrogen and carbon monoxide oxidation and a 2025 Nature Communications paper on AI-designed proteins effective against antibiotic-resistant bacteria. He maintains active collaborations with researchers at institutions including Monash University and has contributed to patent applications in plant pathogen resistance.