Analytica 2018

•••9••• Innovationen Using light as a “fuel” Biocatalytic production with photosynthesis B iotechnological production of chemicals using enzymes coupled with the photo- synthesis of microalgae is the topic of the new EU project “PhotoBioCat”. Graz Uni- versity of Technology in Austria is the pro- ject coordinator. A carpet of blue-green algae can literally “cloud” the summer’s swimming pleasure at the lake. This is caused by a few strains of photosynthetically active microalgae, also known as cyanobacteria. Other harmless strains of cyanobacteria have great poten- tial for biotechnological applications and for this reason are much sought-after. In the EU project “PhotoBioCat” internation- al doctoral students under expert guidance use light as a “fuel” to accelerate enzymatic reactions by means of cyanobacteria. It is hoped that this will make the biocatalytic production of chemicals considerably more sustainable. The recently launched project is coordinated by a team led by Robert Kour- ist, head of TU Graz’s Institute of Molecular Biotechnology. The project PhotoBioCat has two main areas of focus. In one area, the use of cyanobacteria as bio- catalysts for light-driven biotechnological applications is being examined and tested in a range of industrially relevant model re- actions. Chemicals for polymers, cosmetics and medicines are being increasingly tech- nologically produced using enzymes to ac- celerate reactions. The second area of focus of the project will be on raising the efficiency by which light energy is harvested and can be passed on to enzymatic reactions (in vitro, in other words without living carrier organisms, such as cyanobacteria). Photosynthetically active microalgae have great potential for biotechno- logical applications. Photo: Lunghammer – TU Graz Project manager Robert Kourist with Sandy Schmidt and Hanna Büchsenschütz, both in the project team of “PhotoBioCat ” Photo: Lunghammer - TU Graz Verlag: CONNEX Print & Multimedia AG Große Packhofstraße 27/28 · 30159 Hannover Telefon: +49 511 830936 · Telefax: +49 511 56364608 E-Mail: connex@die-messe.de Internet: www.die-messe.de Auflage IVW-geprüft. Auflagengruppe: G Redaktion: Martin Braun Verantwortlich für den Anzeigenteil: Tina Wedekind Druck: Druckzentrum Neckar-Alb, 72764 Reutlingen MESSEJOURNAL DIE MESSE analytica 2018 Impressum