FZ Juelich
About
Forschungszentrum Jülich is one of the largest interdisciplinary research centres in Europe and a founding member of the Helmholtz Association. Researchers from all over the world contribute their expertise here in the major future fields of energy, information and bioeconomy.
In these socially highly relevant areas, we are looking for solutions to the challenges of the modern world. We conduct basic research with a globally unique infrastructure and develop practical applications. Because we want our research to bring about positive change.
The biotechnology work in Upcycle is done by the Institute of Bio-and Geosciences IBG-1. We use microbiological, biochemical, genetic and computational methods for the development of microbial processes for the transformation of biomass and waste streams into useful chemicals.
Role in Upcycle
In Upcycle, we will develop and optimize microbial catalysts for the production of aromatic polymer building blocks. Main focus is on the metabolic engineering of Pseudomonas taiwanensis for the best possible conversion of bio-based, as well as plastic waste-based, feedstocks into 4-hydroxyphenylacetatic acid.
Besides this metabolic engineering, we also tailor the organism to the process, enhancing tolerance to the product and making sure the microbe behaves in the bioreactor.
This enables smooth and efficient scale-up of the process by Upcycle partners to enable the production of large amounts of products with high purity, needed for the development of new eco-friendly polymers.