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IndustrIal bIotechnologyNature’s owN chemical plaNt
FF R AR A u n h ou n h o F E RF E R I n I n SS tt II t u tt u t EE FF oo RR I n t I n t E R F AE R F A cc I AI A l E nl E n G IG I nn E E R IE E R I nn GG AA n d Bn d B II o to t EE c h n o l oc h n o l o GG y I G By I G B
Nowadays about 77 percent of all chemicals are made from
crude oil, 10 percent from natural gas, 2 percent from coal
and 11 percent from renewable raw materials. Since oil is
getting more and more expensive and fossil stocks are being
gradually depleted, companies in the chemical and pharma-
ceutical industry are looking for alternative raw materials and
manufacturing processes. Biocatalytic methods can result in
entirely new products, as well as offering economic and en-
vironmental advantages.
Special significance is being attached to industrial or white
biotechnology, in which chemicals and chemical raw materials
as well as fuels are produced with biotechnological or com-
bined processes. The focus is on bioconversion, in which raw
materials are transformed into usable products either with
microorganisms (fermentation) or enzymes (biocatalysis).
Environment-friendly processes
The chemical-catalytic production of substances is generally
carried out with a high time-volume yield, but frequently
requires high pressures, high temperatures or the use of or-
ganic solvents. On the other hand, substrate-specific biosyn-
theses take place under mild conditions in a watery solution –
however normally with a low time-volume yield. The optimum
combination of chemical and biotechnological processes,
compared with purely catalytic chemistry such as for example
in the production of vitamin B2, often manages with a lower
consumption of raw materials and energy as well as lower
disposal costs.
Additionally, the use of renewable raw materials as a regener-
ative source of carbon for the manufacture of mass products
is to a very large extent carbon dioxide-neutral and helps to
reduce the emission of greenhouse gases.
high specificity of biocatalysts
Biocatalysts, in particular enzyme preparations, permit highly
specific implementations and can also be used for the pro-
duction of compounds that are chemically difficult to access.
Biocatalytically manufactured products are generally of high
purity, normally there are no toxic by-products and catalyst
residues. Besides advantages of an economical and ecological
nature, biocatalytic processes also offer possibilities for the
development of completely new products.
IndustrIal bIotechnology
2 I 3
FraunhoFer Igb – partner For economIcal and sustaInable solutIons
21 3
The Fraunhofer IGB has a long tradition in the biotechnolog-
ical processes nowadays collectively called “white biotech-
nology“. These methods are now used for the preparation
of various industrial products, such as fine chemicals, bulk
chemicals, enzymes, active compounds for cosmetics, addi-
tives to food and animal feeds, fuels and even for the pro-
duction of pharmaceuticals.
Our biologists and biotechnologists work hand in hand with
chemists, physicists and process engineers to develop effi-
cient new screening and expression systems, as well as pro-
duction and processing methods that meet the highest de-
mands for product quality and time-volume yields.
Sustainability by means of recycling of
materials and recycling management
With the aim of sustainability, the Fraunhofer IGB has al-
ready in the past made use of industrial organic residual ma-
terials as biogenic sources of raw materials – as in the pro-
duction of lactic acid from acid whey, a residue from milk
processing. In view of the fact that agricultural land for the
production of foodstuffs can compete with renewable raw
materials for industrial usage, in the future we also want to
develop processes to tap residual biomass from forestry and
agriculture (waste wood, straw) or from the foodstuff indus-
try (crab shells, whey) as sources of raw materials. We are
also focusing on microalgae that synthesize a wide range of
industrially usable substances with only sunlight as a source
of energy and carbon dioxide as a source of carbon, and un-
like rapeseed and corn do not require any agricultural land.
1 Katemfe fruit.
2 Katemfe seeds.
3 Purified thaumatin.
new sweetener thaumatin –
Process for use of a cultivated African plant
We have developed a process and a production plant
for producing thaumatin for the Ghanaian company
Samartex. This is a protein with a high sweetening po-
wer, and is now prepared from the seed coat of the
fruit of the katemfe shrub, which grows in West Afri-
ca. The method involves a preliminary disintegration
stage, extraction, membrane purification and freeze-
drying. The product obtained has a high degree of
purity and meets all the quality requirements for use
as a food additive.
Biogenic raw materials
The only alternative to the fossil resources as a source of car-
bon is the use of biomass – renewable raw materials and or-
ganic residual materials. Renewable raw materials are already
widely used today to produce biofuels: seeds containing oil
such as rape for the production of biodiesel, sugarcane and
corn for the production of bioethanol for admixing in petrol.
However, the use of agricultural products to manufacture bio-
fuels is controversial.
aquatic resource microalgae
A sustainable alternative to the higher plants are the uni-
cellular microalgae living in fresh or sea water. Similarly to
plants, unicellular microalgae use photosynthesis to fix atmo-
spheric carbon dioxide and produce numerous valuable chemi-
cal compounds, such as vitamins, unsaturated fatty acids, and
other pharmacologically active substances. In addition, they
grow much faster and are more productive than plants on
land. Furthermore, algal biomass is free of lignocellulose and
can be fully utilized after the extraction of the high-value tar-
get substance. We at the Fraunhofer IGB are growing various
algal species with great success in a patented photobioreactor.
using organic residues and wastes
With the aim of sustainability we are also developing at the
Fraunhofer IGB processes in order to make use of residual
biomass from forestry and agriculture as well as organic residu-
al materials from the foodstuffs industry as a source of raw
materials. Organic waste formed in farming or food production
often still contains some valuable carbon compounds. We can
solve the problem of waste disposal and obtain at the same
time bulk products with the aid of integrated bioprocesses in
which microorganisms are used to convert the residues in
question. Thus, the Fraunhofer IGB has developed a bioprocess
that involves a membrane-based processing step and enables
us to obtain free lactic acid from lactose present in acid whey,
lactic acid being useful as a chemical starting material for bio-
degradable polymers. Currently we are identifying microorgan-
isms and enzymes in order to obtain chitin from crab shells as a
source of raw materials for industrial biotechnology. In further
projects we treat straw to obtain lignocellulose in order to pro-
duce various monosaccharides as a chemical or fermentation
basic material.
Biotransformation: development of bioprocesses
and fermentation methods
The Fraunhofer IGB develops and optimizes fermentation pro-
cesses, ranging from laboratory to semi-technical scale, using
bacterial systems and fungi. This is done with the aid of pro-
cesses that may be continuous and feature a high cell density,
with cells retention, involving filtration or immobilization (non-
GMP).
Several fermentation and processing methods have been es-
tablished, e.g. for the manufacture of lactic, acetic and itaconic
acid, biological detergents, long-chain dicarboxylic acids and
amino acids as well as for proteins such as thaumatin and bac-
teriorhodopsin. Currently, our focus lies on the biotechnical
production of basic materials for polymer synthesis from re-
newable resources such as rapeseed oil or algae lipids.
From the raw materIal to the product – our oFFer In research and development
1
4 I 5
downstream processing
In the case of biotechnological processes, the product to be
prepared is present in dilute form in the fermentation broth
and has to be concentrated, isolated and purified from the
other constituents of the fermentation medium, such as by-
products and cells. Our gentle but efficient processing meth-
ods yield pharmaceuticals, food additives, plant constituents,
nature-identical products, and building blocks for chemical
syntheses. The Fraunhofer IGB develops mild and efficient pro-
cessing methods for synthesis building blocks, foodstuff addi-
tives or natural vegetable materials, and is planning the corre-
sponding installations.
Since processing determines how economic the bioprocess
is, many of our projects involve the use of specific membrane
methods, sometimes with molecularly imprinted nanoparti-
cles, which can simplify the multistage downstream process-
es. If necessary, the membrane processes are coupled with
conventional separating methods, such as centrifugation and
extraction or else with chromatographic methods. Thus, pro-
teins – active compounds or enzymes – have been prepared
in a highly pure state with the aid of ion-exchange, gel or
reversed-phase chromatography.
To an increased extent we are also examining the extraction of
valuable substances with supercritical fluids. They combine the
properties of gases and liquids and have a high dissolving
power. The products extracted in this way are free of solvents.
raw materials
white biotechnology covers industrial production
methods for making basic and fine chemicals,
building blocks for chemical syntheses, and active
substances with the aid of enzymes, microorganisms
and microalgae.
processing of
raw materials
biotransformation enzyme screening
and -optimization
downstream processing
final products
1 Sustainable resource
microalgae.
2 Bioreactor.
3 Composite membrane
with nanoparticles.
2 3
The Fraunhofer IGB has a more than 10-year tradition of
screening for novel enzymes, their optimization and produc-
tion and has already successfully conducted several projects
with major companies in the chemical and pharmaceutical
industries.
Both conventional methods of enriching microorganisms
with the aim of identifying new enzymes play a role here as
well as molecular methods such as the complete screening
of the genes of microbial communities, e.g. via metagenom-
ic genetic libraries. With the help of molecular methods we
can also examine the genome of isolated microorganisms
and their proteins in detail.
We have experience in the discovery and the refinement of
enzymes such as proteases, lipases, amylases, glycosidases,
cellulases, phytases, oxygenases, halogenases, dehalogenas-
es, chitinases, chitin deacetylases, formaldehyde-dis-
mutases, cyanidases and ethene-monooxygenases as well as
their cloning and recombinant expression.
By means of molecular-evolutive techniques we optimize en-
zymes for a very wide range of specific applications. We can
produce and evaluate these in heterologous systems of up
to 300 liters.
Screening center:
Exclusive access to unknown enzymes
In our “Screening Center“ we offer a platform for the rapid
identification and optimization of new enzymes. Here we
make use of extensive experience in metagenomics, high-
throughput screening and heterologous production of pro-
teins/enzymes. This experience is supported by the system-
atic use of the information that is available from the
plethora genome sequencing projects currently conducted
or already finalized.
non-cultivatable microorganisms: Genetic libraries
directly from the environment
More than 90 percent of the microorganisms occurring in
nature may not be cultivatable in the lab. In order to utilize
the metabolic potential of these organisms too, we use a
screening strategy at the Fraunhofer IGB that circumvents
this problem: We have directly isolated the DNA of microbial
communities of various habitats and using optimized ex-
pression vectors introduced them into host strains. These
libraries can be examined easily for enzymatic activities.
With these metagenomic libraries we offer interested part-
ners access to new, so far unknown enzymes and methods
to optimize them according their needs.
bIocatalysts: new enzymes and straIn optImIzatIon
1 2 3
Resource production
by means of strain optimization
In the field of industrial biotechnology we use enzymes or
microorganisms in order to produce organic basic and fine
chemicals. For this purpose, we develop new production
strains with the help of classical and biotechnological methods.
In conjunction with the screening for new metabolic activities
and / or enzymes, microorganisms can be provided with new
properties by means of metabolic engineering. This makes it
possible to implement new products from renewable resources
in easily controllable hosts.
1 Automated screening
for dehalogenases with
the halogenid sensor.
2 Automated mass
screening for new enzymes
from metagenomic libraries.
3 The DNA of microor-
ganisms extracted from
soil samples is expressed in
laboratory strains.
4 A soil specimen, the
habitat of countless micro-
organisms, source of new
biocatalysts.
Reaction from industry
“The approach of the Fraunhofer IGB to enzyme
screening directly from DNA in soil samples appeared
very promising to us from the very beginning. However,
to develop the entire methodology would have been
too expensive for a producing company. We authorized
the Fraunhofer IGB with the generation and screening
of the gene library. The cooperation has been excellent.
More than 50 new enzymes have been found.“
Dr. Michael Breuer, BASF Research Fine Chemicals and Biocatalysis
4
6 I 7
lactic acid from whey
Whey is a high-volume by-product in milk processing, and
especially the acid whey is seen as a waste product. After
separation of the valuable whey proteins a residue remains,
which is costly to dispose of due to its high COD (chemical
oxygen demand). Besides inorganic salts the main compo-
nent is milk sugar (lactose), which is only of little importance
in food production because of its poor sweetening power.
But lactose can be converted by lactic acid bacteria to lactic
acid (lactate), which is used as a preservative and acidulant
in the food industry and as a raw material in the chemical
industry – e.g. in the production of polylactides, biologically
degradable polymers.
At the Fraunhofer IGB an integrated high-performance pro-
cess has been developed in which combining membrane
processing methods with an efficient biological system (or-
ganism, cultivation medium, bioreactor) lead to economic
production of lactic acid. In the first process step, the valu-
able whey proteins are separated from the acid whey. The
lactose of the remaining whey permeate is converted in an
unaerated bioreactor by a special strain of lactic acid bacte-
ria, which does not need any further supplements, to lactate
(salt of lactic acid). High concentrations of biomass and
thereby high and economic lactic acid productivities are
achieved by cell retention using an integrated cross-flow fil-
tration unit. The product recovery is carried out by bipolar
electrodialysis, converting lactate directly into the free acid.
1,3-propanediol from raw glycerol
In the production of biodiesel from rapeseed oil, raw glycerol
is formed as a by-product of the transesterification of the
vegetable oils. It is produced as an 80-percent viscous fluid
with a pH of 11 and contains some fatty acids and salts.
1,3-propanediol is a basic chemical material, used, for exam-
ple, in the production of polyesters. Up to now it has been
manufactured by means of chemical synthesis. However,
there are also microorganisms able to transform glycerol to
1,3-propanediol.
In a biotransformation process developed at IGB, Clostridium
diolis, a strictly anaerobic spore-forming bacterium is used to
produce propanediol from raw glycerol. The yield of 1,3-pro-
panediol is in the range of 50 percent (w/w) of the input of
the substrate glycerol. A continuous mode of fermentation
proved to be successful. At a high conversion rate, the
growth-inhibiting effects of the glycerol are minimized. We
have therefore been able to achieve concentrations of pro-
panediol of up to 50 g/l to date. The fermentation process
proved largely stable for some 1,000 hours of operation, and
constant propanediol productivity was achieved. We plan to
further optimize the process by the use of strains with im-
proved properties. Another avenue is the introduction of a
high-cell density fermentation process with integrated cell
retention.
bIo-based materIals For the chemIcal Industry
1 2
dicarboxylic acids from rapeseed oil
Long-chain dicarboxylic acids (C>12) are of great interest as
additives in the synthesis of polymers (e.g. polyamides and
polyesters) with novel properties. However, chemical synthe-
sis of long-chain dicarboxylic acids is not easy.
The metabolic pathway for the synthesis of dicarboxylic acids
in microorganisms is known as ω-oxidation and comprises
three successive enzymatic steps involving the oxidation of
fatty acids (monocarboxylic acids). This metabolic pathway is
common in well-known yeast strains such as Candida tropi-
calis and Yarrowia lipolytica. At the Fraunhofer IGB we are
therefore pursuing various approaches to the fermentative
production of dicarboxylic acids from vegetable fatty acids.
The development of the method follows the example of
rapeseed oil, but is also applicable to oils that are not used
in the foodstuffs sector.
The development of various fed-batch processes with organ-
isms of the genus Candida has already made it possible to
obtain dicarboxylic acid concentrations of up to 100 g / l. At
present we are examining a series of other organisms for the
preparation of new, easy-to-handle production strains that
permit the highest possible yield of dicarboxylic acid.
In the second approach the genes from Candida necessary
for the dicarboxylic acid synthesis were introduced into the
well characterized yeast strain Saccharomyces cerevisiae
(baker’s yeast), which of itself is not able to synthesize long-
chain dicarboxylic acids. This recombinant strain is also be-
ing examined at present as regards its suitability as a pro-
duction strain.
1 Clostridium diolis
produces 1,3-propanediol
from raw glycerol.
2 In the production of
biodiesel from rapeseed
oil, raw glycerol is formed
as a by-product.
3 Cultivation of yeast
strains in a lab-scale bio-
reactor.
4 Yeasts are able to syn-
thesize dicarboxylic acids
from fatty acids.
3 4
8 I 9
chitin – raw material from crab shells
After cellulose, chitin is the most abundant biopolymer on
the earth. This renewable raw material occurs in large quan-
tities in aquaculture as waste since, like many other organ-
isms, crustaceans use it for skeletal purposes in their shells.
Chitin can be decomposed by many bacteria by means of
chitinases. These chitinases split the linear, insoluble ho-
mopolymers which consist of beta-1,4-linked N-acetylglu-
cosamine (NAG) units into oligomers or monomers.
At the Fraunhofer IGB we are developing an enzymatic pro-
cess, where chitin is decomposed to monomers which can
then be converted hydrothermally to easily modified basic
building blocks for use in polymer chemistry.
During an enrichment screening process, a set of unknown
chitinases have been isolated. Lab-scale experiments with
the isolates showed that chitinase production was linked to
organism growth on chitin and that the enzymes are secreted
into the medium. During a two-step process, firstly the en-
zymes are produced, and after separation of the biomass
they are used for biotransformation of chitin. In this way we
have succeeded in converting a 1%-chitin suspension com-
pletely into NAG.
Gene libraries of each organism were being created in E. coli
in order to characterize the new chitinases both with regard
to their characterization at molecular level and to create a re-
combinant strain for enzyme production. By means of genomic
walking and expression-assisted screening we have already
identified several new chitinases that are currently being intro-
duced into E. coli. A chitinase is expressed functionally in
E. coli and its range of products is being examined.
lactic acid production from starch
Starch is an important storage compound in plant cells
and is valuable in human nutrition as e.g. the main compo-
nent of cereals and potatoes. As polysaccharide composed
of glucose units, starch can also be used as a renewable
raw material for biotechnological processes. Currently, this
process is carried out industrially in two stages: the first
involves the digestion of the starch by technical enzymes
to form glucose; in the second, the glucose is fermented to
lactic acid by microorganisms. Lactic acid is an important
commodity chemical that can be chemically processed to
yield various end products, in this case, acrylic acid and
1,2-propanediol, optimally directly from the filtered fermen-
tation broth.
Our aim was to develop a one-step process involving the
simultaneous hydrolysis of starch and fermentation of the
resulting glucose to lactic acid by starch-hydrolyzing bacte-
ria. A screening for starch-fermenting lactic acid bacteria
revealed a strain which is able to convert complex starch like
wheat or cornstarch to lactic acid by homofermentative fer-
mentation with high yields. Using this strain, a lactate con-
centration of 115 g / l was obtained from cornstarch. Such
high concentrations were best achieved in a co-culture with
a glucose fermenting lactic acid bacterium, because the
starch-digesting organism had problems converting glucose
at high lactate concentrations.
HO
HO
CH2OH O
O
HOHCH3CNH
O
CH2OH O
OCH3CNH
OH HO
O
CH3CNH
O
CH2OH
OH
(((())n)n)
1 2
10 I 11
During the chemical conversion experiments it was estab-
lished that processing of the fermentation broth into reac-
tion products requires a certain proportion of free undisso-
ciated lactic acid. This requires in turn that fermentation be
carried out at the lower pH values necessary for the undis-
sociated form of the lactic acid. However, because the
growth of the microorganisms is strongly inhibited by low
pH and high free lactic acid concentrations, a biphasic fer-
mentation process was tested: The first phase with pH con-
ditions adjusted to give optimal pH for growth, and the sec-
ond phase where pH was allowed to drop, unadjusted, to
about pH 4, resulting in a maximum lactic acid concentra-
tion at minimum pH value. This fermentation method is cur-
rently being optimized.
1 Crab shells as chitin
suppliers.
2 Chemical structure of
chitin.
3 Chitinolytic bacteria
on agar plate containing
chitin.
3
raw materials conversion of raw materials
biotransformation downstreamprocessing
desired products
lipids(e.g. rapeseed oil)
enzymes
lipases
bio-based polymers, e.g. polyesters, polyami-des, polyurethane
glycerole
fatty acids
1,3-propanediol
dicarboxylic acids
Process chain for the sustainable synthesis of bio-based materials for the chemical industry.
Basic chemicals from lignocellulose
Lignocellulose – bulk material of the cell walls of all ligneous
plants – is the most commonly occurring renewable raw ma-
terial. For this reason alone it is certain to play an essential
role in the supply of both renewable raw materials and ener-
gy in our society in the future. In addition to this, waste ma-
terial such as straw and wood can be used as a basic raw
material for industrial biotechnology as it does not conflict
with the manufacture of foodstuffs.
By means of fermentation or chemical processes it is possible
to manufacture the most important starting chemicals –
apart from biofuels – of the chemical industry from materials
containing lignocellulose, which mainly consist of polymeric
C6 and C5 sugars (cellulose, hemi-cellulose) and the biopoly-
mer lignin. However, these materials are highly resistant to
enzymatic degradation, chiefly due to their lignin content.
On the other hand, harsh physical/chemical treatment meth-
ods result in the loss or a reduced quality of individual frac-
tions. New methods and combinations of methods, there-
fore, are necessary to obtain technically usable building
blocks for chemical reaction products.
At the Fraunhofer IGB we are developing processes within the
Cluster IBP, which constitute a combination of enzymatic fer-
mentation processes with different decomposition methods.
The target products are sugar, such as glucose, arabinose and
xylose or lignin components. By means of further, often com-
bined biotechnological-chemical, steps basic chemicals such as
acetate as well as biofuels, such as bioethanol or biobutanol,
can be generated. This way the concept of an integrated
process approach from the raw material lignocellulose to
achieving the product extraction in the sense of a bio-refinery
is implemented.
UTILIzATION OF WOOD AND STRAW
hightech Strategy “BioIndustry 2021”
As part of its hightech strategy the federal government of
Germany is aiming to accelerate the conversion of results in
the field of “white biotechnology” from universities and
research institutes into market products by launching the
competition “BioIndustry 2021”. It is a fact, however, that
successful laboratory trials can only be translated into pro-
duction on an industrial scale by considerable further effort
in research and development. One of five successful clus-
ters with significant contributions from industry is the Clus-
ter IBP »industrial processes with biogenic building
blocks and performance proteins« involving the Fraun-
hofer IGB as well as Wacker Chemie AG and Süd-Chemie
AG as their partners from industry.
1 Making raw materials
containing lignocellulose
available to the chemical
industry poses a new chal-
lenge for scientists.
2 Straw is decomposed
in a ball mill before its
components can be further
processed.
1 2
BIoREFInERy complete use oF renewable raw materIals
Complete utilization of biogenic raw materials is especially economical and sustainable: as chemicals to produce substances
and as fuels for energy. This is the objective of the integrative concept of the biorefinery. Biomass is first of all converted into
basic chemicals by means of fermentative or biocatalytic processes, which are further processed to obtain fine chemicals or
biopolymers. Finally, the biomass is also used for energy – as automotive or heating fuel.
Algae as a source of raw materials
Microalgae are a natural source of raw materials that has so
far been little used. They produce a wide range of chemical
basic materials such as vitamins, fatty acids and carotinoids.
These have a high potential for creating value in the pharma-
ceutical, chemical and foodstuffs industries.
Algae are easily satisfied and – like plants – only need sun-
light, carbon dioxide, nitrate and phosphate in order to grow
quickly. Continual harvesting over the whole year is possible
with algae production; agricultural land is not required. Addi-
tionally, the composition of the algal biomass – in itself free
of lignocellulose and homogeneous – can be controlled by
targeted cultivation conditions. The water required for their
cultivation is, compared with higher plants, considerably low-
er; in addition, the water can be recycled. Even wastewater
streams from the wastewater purification plant containing in-
organic nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus can be
used for their cultivation.
new type of photobioreactor
The production of algal biomass in open ponds is slow and
inefficient. The Fraunhofer IGB therefore developed for the
primary production of algal biomass containing raw materials
an inexpensive plate reactor, which functions on the principle
of an airlift reactor. Unlike reactors developed up till now the
FPA reactor (Flat-panel Airlift Reactor) is a fully mixed reactor,
in which an improved light and substrate supply of all the al-
gal cells is achieved my means of a thin layer and targeted
flow guidance in the reactor by means of static mixers. This
results in a high concentration of cells in the reactor, which
increases the cost-effectiveness of the production process.
The reactor itself is manufactured at low cost by means
of deep-drawing technology from synthetic foil in the form
of two half-shells including the static mixers. In the scale-up,
the reactor volume of the FPA reactors was increased from
5 liters to first of all 30 liters and then, by Subitec GmbH, a
spin-off of the Fraunhofer IGB, to 180 liters. In two pilot
plants with 1.3 and 4 m³ reactor volume each, Subitec uses
these reactor modules in outdoor conditions and with waste
gas from block-type heat and power plants as a CO2 source
for the production of algal biomass.
producIng resources wIth mIcroalgae
1 2
Products of an integrated process
Production processes for substances that are used as food-
stuff additives, animal feed or cosmetic additives, were suc-
cessfully developed at the Fraunhofer IGB and optimized for
production in field conditions.
The microalgae Haematococcus pluvialis, for example, produces
astaxanthin, a red pigment with properties that are antioxida-
tive and beneficial to the health. The “red salmon pigment“
is used both in aquaculture and in the cosmetic industry. The
algae Phaeodactylum tricornutum produced for example the
polyunsaturated long-chain omega-3 fatty acid EPA (eicosap-
entaenoic acid), which is essential for human beings.
The approach adopted by the IGB aims, first of all, to obtain
the resources from the algae and then to ferment the residual
biomass in a biogas plant. After the production of electric
current and heat from the biogas in the block-type heat and
power plant, the resulting CO2 can be returned to the circula-
tion process for algal biomass production.
1 The microalgae Haema-
tococcus pluvialis produces
the red pigment astaxan-
thin.
2 Individual FPA reactors
are interconnected, thus
producing algal biomass in
kilograms.
3 Biomass of algae con-
taining lipids after harvest-
ing. Source: EnBW
4 FPA reactors in a pilot
plant of Subitec GmbH,
which is supplied with
waste gas CO2.
© Thomas Ernsting
3 4
14 I 15
If the utilization of renewable raw materials is to fulfill the re-
quirements of sustainability, the processes have to be consid-
ered as a whole. Advantageous processes are those that are
not in competition with foodstuff production, do not destroy
any forests, do not require too much water and that have the
objective of utilizing the raw materials as completely as possi-
ble in the sense of a biorefinery.
Biofuels from wood and straw
The use of wood and straw waste provides a sustainable
solution. As described above, first of all new methods have
to be developed in order to convert the stable biopolymers
hemicellulose, lignocellulose and lignin into technologically
usable monomers. We are working on this at the Fraunhofer
IGB. The sugar obtained not only served as a base chemical;
after fermentative conversion it also provided biofuels such
as bioethanol or biobutanol.
oil or biodiesel from algae rich in lipids
The production of lipids as a carbon and energy store is wide-
spread among microalgae. After a reduction of the growth rate
as a result of nutrient deficiency many types of algae store lipids
in the form of oil. Here, the production of lipids depends to a
large extent on the light available to the algae and only occurs
if the supply of light and also carbon dioxide remains sufficient-
ly high. If there is a selection of such algae specifically for their
oil content and they are cultivated correspondingly, the produc-
tion of oil or biodiesel from algal lipids could provide an alterna-
tive to the use of vegetable oils as an energy source.
In a current project for the production of bioenergy supported
by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) to-
gether with Fair Energie Reutlingen and Subitec GmbH, oil is to
be obtained from algae and this is to be used to produce ener-
gy in a block-type heat and power plant run on vegetable oil.
Methane – end product of biomass refinery
Renewable raw materials such as microalgae and cultivated
plants contain organic carbon compounds, resulting from solar
energy that has been used to fix CO2 by photosynthesis. There-
fore, they are not only carbon sources but also energy sources.
After extracting the chemicals from the biomass, the residue
can be used as a carbon dioxide-neutral energy source. This
treatment of biogenic raw materials, with the dual utilization of
both material and energy, is more favorable than the previous
methods from the energy point of view. In the state of the art,
biomass is first decomposed into its elementary constituents,
and then high-molecular hydrocarbons are synthesized from the
resulting synthesis gas.
Methane, a constituent of biogas, is an end product of biomass
processing that is useful both as a compound and as an energy
carrier. Methane is formed along the anaerobic digestion of or-
ganic waste such as biological garbage, sludge formed in waste-
water purification plants, and residues of renewable raw materi-
als. Biogas can provide heat and electricity, or methane can be
converted into methanol for use as liquid fuel.
energy sources From regeneratIve raw materIals
1 Sustainable use of
microalgae.
16 I 17
Algal biomass products: pigmentsω-3-fatty acidsvitamins
8 MJ electricity12 MJ heatper m3 biogas
per kg algal biomass produced 1.85 kg CO2 are fixed
energy
NH4 / PO4
recycling
digestion/ codigestion
biogas
CO2
CO2
CH2OCO2
block-type heat and power plant
H20
light reactionsCalvin cycle
ADP + Pi + NADP+
ATP + NADPH + H+
1
Market and technology analyses
Screening of gene libraries for desired enzymatic
activities
Custom-made gene libraries for special requirements
Development of new high-throughput enzyme assays
Subcloning, sequencing, expression and characterization
of new enzymes
Enzyme optimization, further development of
new enzymes by evolutive design, in vitro enzyme
engineering
Metabolic engineering of production strains
Enzyme purification in pilot-plant scale
Strain and parameter screening in multi-fermenter
systems
Development and optimization of bacterial and
fungal fermentation processes from laboratory up to
pilot-plant scale
Screening and development of photoautotrophic
processes from laboratory up to pilot-plant scale for
microalgae and cyanobacteria in flat panel airlift reactors
High-cell-density fermentations, also continuous opera-
tion, with cell recycling by filtration or immobilization
Processes for the production, isolation / separation
and purification of biotechnical products and natural
substances (carbohydrates, organic acids, fatty acids,
proteins, enzymes, etc.)
Downstream processing technologies like filtration
(micro-, ultra-, nano-), electrodialysis and other mem-
brane processes, extraction, chromatographic methods
(ion exchange, size exclusion, reversed-phase chroma-
tography)
Scale-up of biotechnical processes
Fermentation up to 300 liters (non-GMP)
r&d servIces at a glance
external organIzatIons and project groupschemical-Biotechnological Process center cBP,
leuna
New possibilities for processing biological raw materials
on a large scale
The new Chemical-Biotechnological Process Center CBP, which
is being created by the Fraunhofer Institutes for Interfacial En-
gineering and Biotechnology IGB and Chemical Technology ICT
together with InfraLeuna GmbH, closes the gap between lab
and industrial implementation. It permits chemical-biotechno-
logical processes ranging from the raw material to the biocata-
lyst and the scaling of the processes for industrial implementa-
tion. The Center, with its infrastructure based on a flexible
biorefinery concept, is available to cooperation partners for re-
search and development. The CBP is supported by funds from
the State of Sachsen-Anhalt and the Federal Ministries of Edu-
cation and Research (BMBF), Food, Agriculture and Consumer
Protection (BMELV) and the Environment (BMU). Currently, 23
industrial enterprises as well as 15 universities and research es-
tablishments are planning their participation in the projects.
contact
Prof. Dr. Thomas Hirth
Director of the Institute
Phone +49 711 970-4400
Fraunhofer Project Group
Straubing
“catalytic processes for sustainable raw material and
energy supply on the basis of renewable raw materials”
The newly established Fraunhofer Project Group, attached
to the Fraunhofer IGB, is part of the Scientific Center Straubing
at the Expertise Center for Renewable Raw Materials and is
directed by Professor Volker Sieber, holder of the chair for the
Chemistry of Biogenic Raw Materials at the TU Munich. The
objective of the Project Group is to develop and apply new
methods, to establish catalysts and catalytic processes that per-
mit a more comprehensive use of vegetable biomass in the
chemical industry. In this, the Fraunhofer Project Group will
also work closely with various chairs at the Technical University
of Munich.
contact
Prof. Dr. Volker Sieber
Chair for the Chemistry of Biogenic Raw Materials
Technical University of Munich
Schulgasse 16
94315 Straubing
Phone +49 9421 187-300
Fax +49 9421 187-310
© InfraLeuna
18 I 19
contact
prof. Dr. walter trösch
Head of Department Environmental
Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering
Phone +49 711 970-4220
Dr. wolfgang Krischke
Fermentation and Downstream Processing
Phone +49 711 970-4218
Dr. ulrike schmid-staiger
Algae Technology
Phone +49 711 970-4111
priv.-Doz. Dr. steffen rupp
Head of Department
Molecular Biotechnology
Phone +49 711 970-4045
Dr. susanne Zibek
Enzyme Screening and Biotransformation
Phone +49 711 970-4167
prof. Dr. thomas hirth
Director
Coordinator Industrial Biotechnology
in the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft
Phone +49 711 970-4400
Fraunhofer Institute for
Interfacial Engineering and
Biotechnology IGB
(Fraunhofer-Institut für Grenzflächen-
und Bioverfahrenstechnik IGB)
Nobelstrasse 12
70569 Stuttgart Germany
Phone +49 711 970-4401
Fax +49 711 970-4200
www.igb.fraunhofer.de
R&D solutions in the field of industrial white biotechnology
are developed on an interdisciplinary basis by scientists from
two departments at the Fraunhofer IGB.
Fraunhofer IGB brief profile
The Fraunhofer IGB develops and optimizes processes and prod-
ucts in the fields of medicine, pharmacy, chemistry, the environ-
ment and energy. We combine the highest scientific quality with
professional expertise in our fields of competence – Interfacial
Engineering and Materials Science, Molecular Biotechnology,
Physical Process Technology, Environmental Biotechnology and
Bioprocess Engineering, as well as Cell and Tissue Engineering –
always with a view to economic efficiency and sustainability. Our
strength lies in offering complete solutions from laboratory scale
to pilot plant. Customers benefit from the constructive coopera-
tion of the various disciplines at our institute, which is opening up
novel approaches in fields such as medical engineering, nano-
technology, industrial biotechnology, and wastewater purification.
The Fraunhofer IGB is one of more than 80 research units of the
Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, Europe’s largest organization for appli-
cation-oriented research.
www.igb.fraunhofer.de
Strategic Fraunhofer Research Alliance
The aim of the interdisciplinary cooperation of various Fraun-
hofer institutes with expertise in chemistry, biology, biotech-
nology, physics and process engineering is – with an inte-
grated approach – from the exploitation of sustainable
sources of raw materials, via the selection of suitable cata-
lysts and the development of the most suitable process in
each case – to make use of renewable raw materials interest-
ing also from an economic point of view.
If the focus at the Fraunhofer IGB is on the search for suit-
able microorganisms and the optimization of strains as well
as fermentation, the chemical synthesis, for example, is car-
ried out at the Fraunhofer Institute for Chemical Technology
ICT, the production of the polymers from these basic build-
ing blocks at the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Polymer
Research IAP or the Fraunhofer Institute for Wood Research
WKI. We also work successfully together with the Fraunhofer
Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME, the
Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging
IVV and the Fraunhofer Institute for Environmental, Safety
and Energy Technology UMSICHT.
Fraunhofer Institute for
Interfacial Engineering
and Biotechnology IGB
(Fraunhofer-Institut für
Grenzflächen- und
Bioverfahrenstechnik IGB)
Nobelstrasse 12
70569 Stuttgart
Germany
Phone +49 711 970-4401
Fax +49 711 970-4200
Director
Prof. Dr. Thomas Hirth
Phone +49 711 970-4400
www.igb.fraunhofer.de
