Research projects

Current Research Projects

• ACE-BIO - Advancing Sustainable Ethyl Acetate from Bio-Based Feedstock
• ROBUST - Development of a robust microbial fermentation process for the sustainable production of ethyl acetate
• STACC-IT - Surface-Treated Adherent Cell Cultivation Chamber - Integration of Sensing Technology
• PQQpat - Establishing a pyrroloquinoline quinone-dependent pathway for efficient alcohol metabolism in Escherichia coli
• TitraBot
• autoLAMPe (autonomous drinking water monitoring using loop-mediated amplification for real-time monitoring)
• DemoEthAc - Demonstration Plant
• EtAcMem – Production of ethyl acetate from whey residue using Kluyveromyces marxianus and product recovery via membrane technology
• LEMON - Integrated two-stage fermentation process for the development of waste-utilizing biorefineries using citric acid production as an example

• VOLATIL - Integrated two-stage fermentation processes for the utilization of waste streams in biorefineries

• Enzyme cascades for cell-free ATP regeneration for the synthesis of valuable substances (funded by ZIM and DFG, in collaboration with c-LEcta and the University of Hamburg)

• Development of a synthetic metabolic pathway for the carbon-conserving production of acetyl-CoA from ethylene glycol (funded by the DFG)

• FISCH Platform: Functionalized Integrated Sensor Connector Housing - Platform
• PriMuS Bioreactor—Printed Multiparameter Sensor Bioreactor

Completed Research Projects

• KoSyn – Controlled Synergy: Peptide-Controlled Cell-to-Cell Communication Between Yeasts and Bacteria in (Bio)technological Processes (funded by the ESF, in collaboration with the Chairs of General Genetics, General Microbiology, and Hydrochemistry, all at TU Dresden)
• dOxy2SensE – Dissolved O₂ Sens-o-Spheres Expansion
• SmartAQAlab - Development of a semi-automated assistance system for the multiparametric analysis of drinking and process water
• smartFormulation – Development of an automated, functionally integrated system for the production and quality assessment of mutually insoluble compound mixtures in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and cosmetics industries, as well as the determination and recording of process-re
• enzyme cascades for cell-free ATP regeneration for the synthesis of valuable substances (funded by ZIM, in collaboration with c-LEcta)
• SynBioMet – Use of synthetic biology for the production of 2,4-dihydroxybutyrate (in collaboration with ESPCI Paris, INSA Toulouse, Adisseo; funded by SAB)
• CoBioMetal – Combined biotechnological and electrochemical wastewater valorization for metal recovery. Subproject: Systems biology analysis of fungal strains during metal recovery from process wastewater (funded by the SAB, in collaboration with TU Bergakademie Freiberg)
• ScampiLys – Production of lysine from shrimp waste (in collaboration with Hanoi University of Science and Technology, funded by the BMBF)

• hyperBATH – Innovative multi-site reaction system with integrated sensors and embedded cloud connectivity for aggregated data analysis

• iHexagon – Development, construction, and testing of an intelligent, multi-variant, autonomous, mobile laboratory furniture system with LIMS connectivity as the basis for functionally integrated elements in the laboratory of the future

• CellPAT – Novel process analytics technology for cell stack cultivation environments
• SchuPlaHolz - Bio-based preservative derived from plant cell culture for wood-based materials
• Yeast pheromones for controlling biotechnological processes (HeSPro)
• MycoMatrix—A sustainable building system made from fungal mycelium
• FungiScout: The Hidden Kingdom: Discovering Fungi for Food, Clothing, Heat, and Light

• FungiColor – Natural dyes from basidiomycetes (Basidiomycota)

• CrossCat—Symbiosis of biological and chemical catalysts for the sustainable conversion of hemicelluloses

• Development of technologies and processes for cultivating dye-producing fungi and for the extraction of natural dyes.
• Symbiosis of Catalysis and Biotechnology for the Sustainable Utilization of Hemicelluloses in Biorefineries
• LiquiPlate – Development, setup, and testing of an automated system for concentrating and plating liquid samples in culture dishes with automatic incubation and inspection
• SteriBot – Development of an automation system for the sterility testing of radiopharmaceuticals
• iPhoto – Development and testing of an automated photo station for capturing, documenting, and measuring laboratory samples, with integration into a LIMS

• ZMWBioKat: Metallic Foams in Biosensors
• NutriJet – Development and testing of a benchtop laboratory device for the fully automated production of liquid culture media
• New production system for plant secondary metabolites based on cell-free biocatalysis in a cascaded, compartmentalized hairy-root reactor
• Development and testing of a benchtop laboratory device for generating variable magnetic fields in a targeted manner for the mixing of cells with suspended magnetic particles in sample vessels
• Development and validation of novel surface structures with the aim of providing anti-(bio)fouling coatings

• CQS-ACM—SPR system for the automated and process-integrated continuous determination of active concentrations

• BioSpeckle—Development of a laser-optical sensor system for noninvasive biomass determination in biotechnological processes
• Design, development, testing, and validation of a novel filter for integration into a home-care test for the detection of Chlamydia trachomatis
• Sens-o-Spheres II | Location-independent acquisition of process measurement signals in novel bioreactor systems
• MIPHO—Multispectral bioreactor for phototrophic organisms
• SmartVesselCoatTest – Development of a novel, self-cleaning, biocide-free coating system for recreational boats, including an in-line test method for validating its antifouling properties.
• eLABPS – Stereoscopy in Biotechnology and the Life Sciences: Investigations into image generation for biological samples and possibilities for automated image analysis using Legionella pneumophila as an example.
• Development of technologies and methods for cultivating dye-producing fungi and for extracting natural dyes.
• Green Bioprinting—Novel Agglomeration Environment for Plant Cells
• Extraction of resource-efficient, high-quality, and health-promoting valuable substances from microalgae for use in the cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries
• Model-based continuous cultivation of the cyanobacterium Arthrospira platensis on an industrial scale
• Algae4Cycle—Modular on-site facility for algae-based treatment of process wastewater
• CrossCat—Symbiosis of Biological and Chemical Catalysts for the Sustainable Conversion of Hemicelluloses


• Toxicologically safe new cross-linking systems for the collagen industry based on biotechnological processes
• Yeast pheromones for controlling biotechnological processes (HeSPro)

• Symbiosis of Catalysis and Biotechnology for the Sustainable Utilization of Hemicelluloses in Biorefineries

• CultiLux—Development and implementation of an innovative device for illuminating phototrophic and photomixotrophic organisms in orbitally shaken culture vessels

• Development of fungicidal and hydrophobic protective agents derived from plants, as well as the development and production of a novel natural insulation material

• Sens-o-Spheres | Location-independent acquisition of process measurement signals in novel bioreactor systems

• Development of an industrially viable biofilm formation monitoring system using a robust, multiparametric sensor system; creation of requirement profiles and their experimental validation

• BioGlizz: A biological alternative to artificial snow for global use

• Scientific development of protocols for the cultivation and preparation of yeast for the A-YES assay at the production scale

• Development of an innovative OLED-based screening system for phototrophic microorganisms (OLEmibi)

• Solid-state fermentation of white rot fungi—investigation and modeling of the growth process

• PetriJet—Development of a device for automatic image acquisition and quantitative image analysis of plant in vitro root hair networks in culture dishes

• White biotechnology for hydrogen synthesis—development of process fundamentals for the production of biogenic hydrogen in novel photobioreactors by an interdisciplinary group of early-career researchers

• Innovative production of secondary metabolites from cyanobacteria for natural cosmetics and pharmaceutical products

• Development of a universal lab-on-a-chip platform for the automated and validated characterization of analyte-ligand and cell-analyte interactions

• Adhesion tendency, wear characteristics, and cleaning requirements when using ta-C coatings with and without doping in food processing

• Extraction of pharmacologically relevant triterpenes from plant cell cultures, using oleanolic and ursolic acids as examples

• Aptamer-based multisensor system for pathogen identification

• White biotechnology with plant cells: Transfer of innovative processes for the application of plant cells in the food, wood-based materials, pharmaceutical, and cosmetics industries by an interdisciplinary group of early-career researchers

• Production of ethyl acetate by Kluyveromyces marxianus

• Development of a process for producing enzyme mixtures to accelerate solid-state fermentation processes

• Intelligent control of renewable raw material plants to increase biogas yield

• Optimization of substrate pretreatment through the use of enzymes in the hydrolysis stage

• Bio-SAT – Biological Whole-Cell Sensor-Actuator Systems for Bioprocess Engineering and Environmental Technology: Production of recombinant hydrophobins in the yeast Pichia pastoris

• BIOMINT – Biomimetic mineralization for engineering

• Process engineering for white biotechnology: Transfer of biotechnological syntheses to industry

• Alternative surface systems and biomonitoring

• Isolation of Staphylococcus aureus from food via biomagnetic separation and new detection methods, such as biosensors based on surface plasmon resonance

• Bioprocess engineering research on scale-up in white biotechnology

• Biosensor system for determining triglycerides in various sample materials

• Development of robust reactor technology for the decolorization and detoxification of textile wastewater using enzymes

• New enzymes—innovatively immobilized—for use in decolorization and bleaching processes in the textile industry

• Identification and quantification of phosphate-accumulating organisms (PAOs) in activated sludge from various municipal wastewater treatment plants

• Microbial diagnostics of food and pharmaceuticals – Growth Cluster IKON 1&3

• Rapid biomonitoring based on biomagnetic separation and nanotechnology—LÖBISENA

• Online flow cytometric monitoring for process control

• Development of biosensors for solid-state fermentation – BIOMUSE

• Characterization of the activation state of spores

• Rapid biomonitoring of contaminants in material systems in the food industry

• Production-Integrated Biomonitoring—Use of Molecular Biological and Genetic Methods

• Development of methods for flow cytometric analysis of transient-state cultures

• Online flow cytometric biomonitoring of yeasts in biotechnological processes

• Innovative process water recycling of dyeing wastewater—“OXITEX”

• Packaging with antimicrobial properties

• Biological digestion of genetically modified bacteria using Bdellovibrio for active ingredient extraction

• Intelligent bio- and microsystems technology—a new generation of equipment for wastewater treatment

• Microorganisms under stringent conditions—analysis and modeling of yeast colony growth

• Process development for the biosynthesis of plant cells

• Purification and surface modification