In biotechnology, many substances are extracted from microorganisms that function as living cell factories. In order to cultivate such organisms as efficiently as possible, especially on an industrial scale, oftentimes numerous and tedious tests are necessary. As part of a collaborative research project, Ralf Pörtner at the Hamburg University of Technology together with colleagues from industry and research has developed a digital tool for the optimization of biotechnological processes.
Plant and process engineering
Power generation with microbes
When you think of fuel cells, you don't necessarily picture bacteria. However, microorganisms also need energy for their metabolism and obtain it through electrochemical processes. Excess electrons are released into the environment by the unicellular organisms. Biotechnologists want to take advantage of this fact to drive microbial fuel cells. The project "Textile Carbon Electrodes for Microbial Fuel Cells" (TexKoMBZ) has developed a special anode that makes future industrial-scale applications seem realistic.
Mussel style superglue
They sit tight on the seabed, and even the waves hitting the coast can’t harm them – mussels. The secret of their resilience lies in their feet: The shellfish’s feet produce a protein that sticks underwater like no other substance. Be it stone, metal, or plastic: the mussel adhesive sticks extremely well to almost any surface.
Turning waste water into electricity
A growing number of people on the planet also means a growing amount of waste and waste water. Its conventional treatment in sewage treatment plants requires a lot of energy and is quite expensive. Now, there is a new approach that focuses on bacteria. In short: these microorganisms can not only purify waste water, but also generate electricity at the same time.
Food Innovation Award for Berlin Uni teams
Every year, the TROPHELIA competition honors innovative ideas in the food sector. This year, students from the TU Berlin ranked first to third at the national level and also took home a special prize. All three teams competed with vegan products.
Microbes make nuclear waste repositories safer
Some microorganisms from the early days of life on earth have a defence mechanism against radioactive heavy metals. Scientists at the Helmholtz Centre Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) have now described this mechanism for the first time and recommend that it be considered in the safety assessment of possible repositories for high-level radioactive waste.
Polish group goes for cellulosic ethanol
The second generation of biofuels is produced from agricultural residues, such as grain straw or Chinese reed. The Swiss specialty chemicals group Clariant AG has developed sunliquid technology for this purpose, a biotechnological process in which cellulose-ethanol can be produced from plant residues. In Straubing, Bavaria, Clariant operates a demonstration plant for the lignocellulose biorefinery. This technology has now found a second licensee in PKN Orlen, a petroleum company that is particularly strong in Central Europe.
Biocarbon fibers are pulling their weight
For some time now, it has been possible to produce carbon fiber, an important high-tech material, from renewable raw materials instead of crude oil. However, so far, the biobased version could not compete as the mechanical properties were inferior to the petroleum equivalent. Thanks to an ultra high temperature oven, this is now likely to change, as fiber specialists at the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Polymer Research (IAP) in Potsdam report.
More efficient wastewater treatment
When factories and municipalities use water, it is usually polluted. Before it can be returned to the environment, it usually passes through a sewage treatment plant. However, sewage treatment plants represent a considerable cost factor, especially for smaller municipalities. The Ruhrverband is therefore testing a new process from the Netherlands in the Sauerland region that uses smart microbiological cleaning to significantly reduce space requirements, electricity consumption and operating costs.
High-quality fuels from waste
Conventional combustion engines will continue to play a role in transportation for some time to come. However, in order to achieve the climate protection goals, the fuels for these engines must not come from fossil sources. At the same time, biofuels should not compete with food and animal feed cultivation. One possibility is biofuels made from residual or waste materials. To this end, researchers at the Hamburg University of Applied Sciences (HAW) have now developed a production process that uses the fat from a deep fryer and hydrogen.