Within the second FOCUS FUND Call in the frame of the NRW strategy project BioSC, two projects were selected. One refers to the Focus Topic Area „Smart management for plant performance“ and the other to the Focus Topic Area „Modular biotransformations for high-value chemicals“. Three FocusLabs already started in spring 2017.

Biohybrid materials are the focus of Felix Jakob`s research. His group works on the optimization of proteins, enzymes and peptides that can be used for materials with tailor-made properties. The spectrum of applications ranges from the fabrication of functionalized textiles to the targeted nutrient supply of crop plants.

The aim of Stephan Noack`s research is the development and optimization of microbial production processes, based on methods of systems biology. A better understanding of macroscopic and microscopic metabolism performance of selected model organisms under industrial production conditions helps to develop new production processes for bulk and fine chemicals, pharmaceuticals and natural products.

On 1st September 2017, more than 50 scientists, practitioners and representatives from central organizations, e.g. the Chamber of Agriculture in NRW, met at Campus Klein-Altendorf to exchange knowledge and latest research results about the low input plant Silphium. The topics of the talks ranged from seed optimization and the exploitation of the genetic variety to promising ingredients through usage within a biorefinery or in paper industry.

During the last months, three BioSC Lectures were given. In the frame of the event series “BioSC in Dialogue”, a lecture for the public was offered for the third time. All lecturers met an interested audience that actively participated in the discussion.

On 22 September the BioSC Workshop „Applied Perennial Plant Pulping“ took place in Aachen. Overall around 30 PhD Students, Post-Docs and early stage researchers gained a unique chance to get closer insight on the topic of lignocellulose processing provided by experts from academia and industry.

In 2017, the event series „BioSC Spotlight“ was initiated to share the BioSC expertise with internal and external partners. Two successful events took place in Aachen and in Bonn/Campus Klein Altendorf. They were jointly organized by BioSC members and the office and were funded by the BioSC. For 2018 we are again looking for thematic suggestions and hosts! The Call for BioSC Spotlight Topics is open until 6 December. The documents are available in the BioSC Intranet.

More information on events and calls can be found here.