The event will take place in a "hybrid" format. On site, Prof. Dr. Christoph Wittmann from the Institute for Systems Biotechnology, Saarland University, will give a lecture in the SFTZ building of the MINT Campus at Alte Schmelz, Saarbrücker Str. 38e, 66386 St. Ingbert.
The production of industrial goods from renewable resources, waste, and residues instead of fossil fuels plays a crucial role in the global protection of climate and environment. Plant biomass is available in vast quantities to drive this development towards a sustainable bioeconomy. Microorganisms that efficiently produce chemicals, materials, fuels, and pharmaceuticals from renewable raw materials are at the heart of this novel, globally pursued bio-based economy.
The lecture demonstrates how synthetic cell factories with novel properties can be cultivated using metabolic engineering. Applications and future possibilities are illustrated with current examples from research, including chemical production from the sea through the upgrading of algal biomass, the sustainable production of bio-nylon from the waste product lignin, and the microbial extraction of high-value omega-3 fatty acids and cellular protective substances for cosmetic and medical products.
About the Speaker
Christoph Wittmann is a professor and managing director of the Institute of Systems Biotechnology (iSBio) at Saarland University. After studying biotechnology at TU Braunschweig and earning his doctorate at the Society for Biotechnology Research, he was a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Helsinki, a professor of biotechnology at the University of Münster, a professor of bioprocess engineering at TU Braunschweig, and a visiting professor at the University of Toulouse before taking up his current position in 2013. He has authored, among other things, 250 publications and holds more than 20 patents and patent applications.
Christoph Wittmann's research interests focus on the development of innovative concepts and methods for a sustainable and resource-efficient bioeconomy. His interdisciplinary and international team specializes in the system-level analysis of microorganisms and uses the acquired understanding to design efficient cell factories for the synthesis of chemicals, materials, food and feed ingredients, and high-quality therapeutics.
Photo of the SFTZ building see: www.Mintcampus.de/SFTZ
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