Dr. rer. nat. Tobias Pöhnl

Senior Researcher +43 512 2070 - 3831 tobias.poehnl@mci.edu

Dr. Pöhnl studied Food Science and Biotechnology (B.Sc.) and Food Science and Technology (M.Sc.) at the University of Hohenheim in Stuttgart. His studies included a semester abroad in the international “Food Technology” program at KU Leuven in Belgium. During his thesis work, he focused intensively on the technology and analytics of plant-based products. His doctoral research at the Chair of Technology and Analytics of Plant Foods in Stuttgart-Hohenheim involved an industry collaboration and examined the influence of agricultural production systems on the compositional profile of plant products and on quality parameters of plant-based foods. After completing his dissertation in July 2019, he joined the Department of Quality and Sensory Assessment of Plant Products at the University of Göttingen in September 2019 and continued his research on plant-based foods. There, he taught his own courses and supervised other researchers in their work. In September 2025 he joint the MCI as Senior Researcher.

Professional work experience

10/2025 - present
Senior Researcher - - Management Center Innsbruck
- Teaching of theoretical and practical courses - Supervision of research - Acquisition and supervision of third party funded projects - Supervision of degree theses
09/2019 - 10/2025
Postdoctoral Researcher - - Georg-August University Göttingen
- Analysis of primary and secondary plant metabolites - Teaching of theoretical and practical courses - Acquisition and supervision of third party funded projects - Management of analytical equipment (HPLC and GC systems) - Supervision of degree theses (PhD, M.Sc., and B.Sc.) - Coordinating third party funded projects
01/2015 - 03/2019
Research Assistant - - University of Hohenheim
Doktoral Thesis “Influence of varietal onion composition on yield and quality of onion juice concentrate” - Analysis of plant foods (HPAEC and (U)HPLC chromatography) - Pilot plant processing of plant foods - EDP commissioner - Supervision of M.Sc. and B.Sc. theses, laboratory/pilot plant courses and examinations - Coordinating third party funded projects

Education

01/2015 - 07/2019
- Dr. rer. nat. - University of Hohenheim
PhD
10/2011 - 12/2014
- Master of Schience - University of Hohenheim
Food Science and Technology
10/2008 - 12/2011
- Bachelor of Science - University of Hohenheim
Food Science and Biotechnology
09/1999 - 07/2008
- High School diploma - Ellentalgymnasium
High School

Peer reviewed journal article

Liu, H., Ji, Z., Pöhnl, T., Neugart, S., 2025, Light-induced modulation of aroma, sugars, and phenolics in strawberries (Fragaria × ananassa Duchesne) during cold storage, Food Chem., 496, 146798.
Liu, H., Pöhnl, T., Ji, Z., Neugart, S., 2025, Short-term postharvest UV-A and UV-B application enhances bioactive plant secondary metabolites in leafy vegetables, Postharvest Biol. Technol., 229, 113679.
Mörlein, J., Wessel, S., Neugart, S., Pöhnl, T., 2024, Masking of bitter sesquiterpene lactones in lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) by apple juice (Malus domestica Borkh.) in green smoothies., NFS J., 36, 100190.
dos S. Nascimentoa, L.B., Goria, A., Cavigli, L., Marino, G., Brunetti, C., Haworth, M., Micheletti, F., Pöhnl, T., Neugart, S. Agati, G., 2024, UVB treatments of packaged ready-to-eat salads: induced enhancement of quercetin derivatives in baby-leaf lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) and wild rocket (Diplotaxis tenuifolia L.). Postharvest Biol. Technol., 207, 112606.
Laurenčíková, N., Živčák, M., Neugart, S., Pöhnl, T., 2023, Influence of UV radiation-absorbing foils on secondary plant metabolites in three lettuce cultivars (Lactuca sativa L. and Cichorium intybus L.). Front. Food. Sci. Technol. 3, 1208100.
Engelhardt, L., Pöhnl, T., Alhussein, M., John, M., Neugart, S., 2023, Changes in bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity of three Amaranthus L. genotypes from a model to household processing, Food Chem., 429, 136891.
Warner, J., Pöhnl, T., Steingass, C. B., Bogarín, D., Carle, R., Jiménez, V. M., 2023, Pectins, hemicellulose and lignocellulose profiles vary in leaves among different aromatic Vanilla species (Orchidaceae). Carbohydr. Polym., 5, 100289.
Engelhardt, L., Pöhnl, T., Neugart, S., 2022, Edible wild vegetables Urtica dioica L. and Aegopodium podagraria L.–Antioxidants affected by processing. Plants, 11 (20), 2710.
Bayer, M., Neugart, S., Pöhnl, T., 2022, Influence of urban gardening conditions on the concentration of antioxidant secondary plant metabolites in kale. J. Appl. Bot. Food Qual., 95, 85-93.
Engelhardt, L., Pöhnl, T., Neugart, S., 2021, Interactions of ascorbic acid, 5-caffeoylquinic acid, and quercetin-3-rutinoside in the presence and absence of iron during thermal processing and the influence on antioxidant activity. Molecules, 26 (24), 7698.
Pöhnl, T., Minor, N., Sedlmeier, E., Schweiggert, R.M., Carle, R., 2021, Influence of propagation method and storage conditions on fructo-oligosaccharide degradation in onions (Allium cepa L.), J. Food Compos. Anal., 103, 104102.
Pöhnl, T., Minor, N., Schweiggert, R.M., Carle, R., 2019, Accumulation of carbohydrates and pungent principles in characteristic seed and set grown onion varieties (Allium cepa L.). J. Appl. Bot. Food Qual. 92, 267-273.
Pöhnl, T., Schweiggert, R.M., Carle, R., 2018, Impact of cultivation method and cultivar selection on soluble carbohydrates and pungent principles in onions (Allium cepa L.). J. Agric. Food Chem., 66 (48), 12827–12835.
Büsing, F., Hägele, F.A., Nas, A., Döbert, L.-V., Fricker, A., Dörner, E., Podlesny, D., Aschoff, J., Pöhnl, T., Schweiggert. R., Fricke, F., Carle, R., Bosy-Westphal, A., 2018, High intake of orange juice and cola differently affects metabolic risk in healthy subjects. Clin. Nutr., 38, 812-819.
Pöhnl, T., Böttcher, C., Schulz, H., Stürtz, M., Widder, S., Carle, R., Schweiggert R.M., 2017, Comparison of high performance anion exchange chromatography with pulsed amperometric detection (HPAEC-PAD) and ultra-high performance liquid chromatography with evaporative light scattering (UHPLC-ELSD) for the analyses of fructooligosaccharides in onion (Allium cepa L.). J. Food Compos. Anal., 63, 148-156.

Chapters in books

Pöhnl, H., Pöhnl, T., 2023, Applications of different curing approaches and natural colorants in meat products. In: Handbook on Natural Pigments in Food and Beverages – Industrial Applications for Improving Food Color (2nd Edition). (Ed. Schweiggert, R.M.), Elsevier, 295-315.