Lab Whispers about Bioengineering

Sustainable production is becoming increasingly important as global concerns over environmental impact grow. An illustrative example is the potential for biotechnological production of second-generation using microorganisms. How promising is this method and what are the mechanisms involved in this process? Prof. Dirk Holtmann, KIT Karlsruhe and Prof Roland Ulber, RPTU explain how a self-sufficient...

The innovative field of microbial co-cultures holds immense potential to revolutionize compound production in bioengineering. With global demand increasing for commodities such as aroma compounds and antibiotics, traditional monoculture approaches are proving inadequate. In nature, over 90% of microbial flora live in co-cultures. Can co-cultures in the laboratory mimic natural ecosystems in which...

The realm of single-cell analysis is not only captivating, but also holds diverse implications for biotechnology. Despite their small size, microorganisms play a pivotal role in producing everyday products. Yet, conventional methods yield only average values from large populations, obscuring individual cell behaviors. What contemporary solutions exist to overcome the limitations of these methods?...

Cultures of Clostridium bacteria have shown significant promise in synthesizing medium-chain alcohols from CO/CO2. What are the specific advantages and challenges associated with using Clostridium bacteria? Delve into this topic with Prof. Dr. Dirk Weuster-Botz and Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Liebl from TU Muenich. Reducing CO2 emissions is one of the most urgent challenges in mitigating climate change. Th...

As bioprocesses move from lab environments to larger industrial scales, productivity often decreases due to insufficient understanding of variations within microbial populations. What are the main challenges posed by this issue, and how can they be overcome? In this episode, we unravel the mechanisms behind population heterogeneity with Prof. Dr. Andreas Kremling from TU Munich and Prof. Dr. Anna...

Developing efficient and reliable production methods for new biological active ingredients is crucial, especially considering the significant demand for immunoglobulin IgG1 in medicine. What novel approaches are currently being explored to enhance the amount of producing biological active ingredients? Join us in this episode as we engage with Prof. Dr. Ralf Takors from the University of Stuttgart...

Using CO2 as a raw material to manufacture climate-neutral products presents a promising solution to address two pressing global challenges: climate change and CO2 emissions. By converting CO2, industries open new avenues to achieve carbon neutrality. But how can this innovative approach be put into practice? Join us as we discuss this question with Prof. Dr. Dirk Weuster-Botz and Dr. Frank Bengel...

CO2 emissions – one of the greatest challenges of our time. Despite often being vilified in the climate debate, CO2 holds potential as a resource rather than merely a pollutant. But can capturing and reusing CO2 be the holy grail? How can we make this a reality? In this episode, we discuss this with Prof. Dr. Andreas Kremling and Dr. Kathi Pflüger-Grau, experts of CO2 utilization research. Togethe...

While co-cultures are uncommon in laboratory settings, over 90% of the microbial flora in nature thrives in such environments. Filamentous co-cultures, in particular, present significant challenges. How can we effectively understand and harness co-cultures, from initial screening to advanced bioprocess development? Explore these questions and more in our episode featuring Prof. Dr. Miriam Agler-Ro...

For thousands of years, fungi have been integral to the production of bread, beer, or antibiotics. But what transformative potential do fungi hold for shaping a sustainable biotechnology? Can fungi pave the way for a greener, more sustainable future? In this episode our special guests Prof. Dr.-Ing. Vera Meyer and Prof. Dr. Peter Neubauer from TU Berlin, alongside Prof. Dr. Heiko Briesen from TU M...

The worldwide demand for commodities, fine chemicals, aroma compounds, proteins, and essential medicines such as antibiotics is steadily increasing. As a result, traditional monoculture-based biotechnological processes are struggling to keep pace. What are the latest innovations and challenges in this exciting field? In the inaugural episode of the podcast “Lab Whispers about Bioengineering”, we d...

Lab Whispers about Bioengineering - starting September 25th 2024! “Lab Whispers about Bioengineering” is a podcast where we invite our listeners to dive deep into the world of bioengineering in each episode. InterZell, funded by the DFG as a priority program (SPP 2170), focuses on cell-cell and cell-bioreactor interactions, bridging biological research with engineering principles in modern biochem...