Born and schooled in Germany, I studied in Paris and Bordeaux, France, where I obtained my PhD at the University of Bordeaux in 1992. I am currently a Distinguished Professor at the South African Grape and Wine Research Institute, Department of Viticulture and Oenology, Stellenbosch University, and holder of the South African Research Chair in Integrated Wine Science. I am also co-director of the African Microbiome Institute at this university.

My research has focused on the cellular and molecular biology of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae and has contributed to our understanding of fundamental and of biotechnologically relevant aspects of the regulation of complex phenotypes in this eukaryotic model yeast. More recently, I have become interested in yeast biodiversity and in understanding the ecological and molecular drivers that govern the evolution and interactions between microorganisms within wine fermentation ecosystems. Besides more than 100 peer-reviewed publications, I have supervised more than 30 Ph.D. and 40 M.Sc. students and am member of several editorial boards and scientific organisations.