Susanne Zeilinger studied Microbiology and Genetics at the University of Vienna where she received her PhD in 1995. She gained experience in production and characterization of Trichoderma reesei extracellular proteins during a stay at the VTT Technical Research Center of Finland and pioneered the utilization of molecular biological and genetic engineering tools for the study of Trichoderma species. When working as a post-doctoral researcher at the Institute of Biochemical Technology and Microbiology at the Vienna University of Technology, Susanne Zeilinger’s research focused on cellulase gene regulation. During a stay as visiting scientist at the Institute of Plant Pathology in Portici, Naples, Italy, Susanne Zeilinger extended her knowledge in the field of Trichoderma biocontrol. Back at the Vienna University of Technology, she built her own research group and became group leader at the Research Area of Biotechnology and Microbiology thereby focusing on studies towards the elucidation of the molecular mechanisms underlying Trichoderma mycoparasitism. Since 2015, Susanne Zeilinger is full professor of Microbiology at the University of Innsbruck, Austria, where she currently heads the Department of Microbiology. She has been honored with several awards such as EMBO, APART (Austrian Academy of Sciences) and FWF (Austrian Science Fund) fellowships, and a research prize of the City of Vienna. Her current research focuses on microbial interactions with a special emphasis on signal transduction and secondary metabolism in mycoparasitic fungi. Susanne Zeilinger has authored over 80 publications and has edited several books.