Patrick Gerlach

Group Lead - Engineering

Patrick Gerlach joined Oxitec in 2021 as a mechanical engineer where he developed cages and other environments for rearing moths and ticks. He is now the Group Lead of the Engineering team since middle of 2023. He overlooks all R&D engineering activities across all projects in the UK and is happy to get his hands dirty as well. The engineering team designs and builds all the custom small to large scale equipment with the aim to come up with novel solutions to problems we didn't know exist as engineers.

Patrick started his professional career as an aircraft mechanic apprentice at Lufthansa Technik in Hamburg, where he learned to repair the fuselage of various aircraft. He then started his university degree in aerospace engineering whilst working at custom aircraft interiors for governments and others. After his degree he moved to the UK to work on landing gears but eventually changed from building things for the biggest flying things to building things for very small flying things.

In his time outside work he is a passionate hockey player, having competed in the German Bundesliga and is now playing near his home in Berkshire with his wife and daughter. As a hobby he builds custom wooden tables and cabinets in his shed.