Research Fields
Biocatalysis
Biocatalysis at acib involves the conversion and synthesis of molecules in order to replace conventional chemical processes with efficient and environmentally-friendly approaches. Beside single reaction formats, acib researchers also focus on multi-step one-pot reactions, which allow to reduce the number of process steps and facilitate purification.
The complexity of multi-step one-pot reactions and whole cell biocatalysis require the integration of molecular techniques such as cell- and protein engineering.
Enzyme Technology and Protein Engineering
While the field of “Biocatalysis” focuses on reactions themselves, the “Enzyme Technology” field deals with enzymatic process applications for industrial approaches. Particularly, in multi-step one-pot reactions, enzymes have to meet industrial requirements regarding specificity, stability and productivity. The establishment of enzyme libraries, the screening of suitable variants and the optimization of production processes are key aspects of this topic. The production and modification of proteins and enzymes for functional use in pharmaceutical ingredients, food and feed is also an important focus.
Microbial Biotechnology
The research topic “Microbial Biotechnology” includes the biotechnological utilization of microorganisms (bacteria, yeasts, fungi) and their compartments. The tools of synthetic biology are used to increase the productivity and robustness of production strains and to develop standardized and tailor-made elements for systematic strain development.
The development and analysis of microbial populations (microbiomes) are also investigated, for example, for biological plant protection and seed treatment or the identification of probiotics for various applications.
Cell Line Development and Plant Biotechnology
acib deals with a detailed, molecular understanding of the properties of production cells used for the manufacture of biopharmaceutical products. These include higher cell lines from mammals, humans or plants that can produce therapeutic proteins of the desired quality. In addition, the cells can also be used to produce viruses and virus-like particles that are applied in vaccines or gene therapy. An overarching goal is to optimize the efficiency of the cells so that higher yields of the highest quality are possible, while reducing costs and timelines.
Bioprocess Technologies
This research area deals with the development of improved or new biotechnological processes, control, and regulation algorithms. The aim is to obtain a comprehensive understanding of biotechnological processes and to enable their application in the biopharmaceutical and biotechnological industry in general. By implementing new processes, control and regulation strategies, the costs and time-to-market of a biopharmaceutical product can be reduced. The research field includes the scalability of processes, modelling and simulation, downstream processing, production processes for bionanoparticles, or the production of antibodies and small peptides. The integration of non-canonical amino acids for the functionalization of peptides is also a research topic.
Biotechnological valorization of waste streams (bioeconomy)
In environmental biotechnology the valorization of waste streams for a more efficient circular economy is a central aspect. In particular, CO2 utilization bioprocesses for protein production, studies on biodegradation, the exploration of new pathways for biorecycling of polymer materials, or the development of functional biobased (e.g. lignin-based) materials are the subject of this research topic. Enzymatic approaches for the degradation of multi-layered and mixed materials as well as bioleaching processes are also being investigated.
Bioinformatics, modelling and simulation
Deciphering the complex network of genes, RNA, proteins and metabolites as well as the interactions between them is essential for understanding biological processes. As a cross-cutting discipline, the application of modelling and simulations facilitates the prediction of conditions and enables the targeted control and monitoring of these networks at all cellular levels as well as at the levels of bioprocesses. The creation of digital twins improves work flows in protein expression and cultivation processes. In addition, in silico screenings are used to identify enzyme specificities and to analyse structural conditions.
Sustainability assessment
The integration of techno-economic assessment, life-cycle assessment and toxicity studies is an important part of every research project in order to ensure a sustainable development of novel technologies. As part of this research topic, acib develops tools for environmental assessment in typical biotechnological unit operations. Especially, in the fields of glycobiotechnology and polymer recycling, acib has gained lots of experiences.
