Perspective projects from the FocusLabs

In the BioSC FocusLabs, relevant results have been achieved since 2017 and cross-disciplinary competencies in the BioSC have been developed. Individual aspects from the first FocusLabs will be further developed in the transition from phase 2 to phase 3 of the NRW strategy project BioSC in 12-month perspective projects on the scale of SEED FUND 2.0 projects. The projects have started on July 1 and August 1, 2020 respectively.

Within the FocusLab Bio², a biorefinery process for the production of biosurfactants was developed. One of the target products were rhamnolipids (RL). They consist of two β-hydroxyalkanoic acids (HAAs) with different chain lengths as well as one or two rhamnose units (mono-RL or di-RL). Different congeners of RLs are expected to have different features; however, the relationship between the structural diversity of RLs and their physicochemical properties remains unclear. DesignR aims at filling this knowledge gap. Utilizing RLs as industrially established exemplary glycolipid, fundamental knowledge regarding structure-function relationships will be gathered. Findings will serve to lay the foundation for an even broader knowledge platform for production and purification of designer glycolipids with yet to be explored applications and market potentials. For this, structure-function relationships of different types of purified RLs and RL mixtures will be investigated in-depth. This will be addressed by (i) microbial production of mono- and di-RL, (ii) selective separation of mono-RL, di-RL, and HAAs, and (iii) bio- and physicochemical characterization of produced mixtures.

Within the FocusLab CombiCom a whole range of natural compounds and derivatives were produced to screen them for relevant bioactivities especially for pest control. Here, prodiginine tripyrroles were found to suppress phytopathogenic nematode infection and one compound promoted plant growth. Moreover, BioSC activities uncovered nematode inhibiting activities of rhamnolipids, which also show enhanced antibacterial effects when combined with a tripyrrole. In the TaiLead project these leads will be combined. To this end, i) a microbe-based combinatorial platform will be established for effective production of previously inaccessible new potent tripyrrolic structural variants that are inspired by the plant growth-promoting hit. Further, ii) the new compounds will be examined regarding theirapplicability and activity spectrum aspotential agrochemicals.Here, activities on nematodes will be assessed and combined activities of prodiginines and rhamnolipids will be investigated. These analyses will indicate the application range for protection of e.g. sugar beet and soybean against specific parasitic nematodes. Building on key competences of and results obtained by the CombiCom FocusLab, this project thus aims to contribute to the development of sustainable production processes and eco-friendly crop protection solutions.

Lignin valorisation can be a crucial step for lignocellulosic biorefinery concepts to reach economic figures. This necessitates the development of technologies and processes to efficiently purify and process lignin for further utilization. LIFT builds on the developed process from the FocusLab AP³ - lignin separation by precipitation - and will further develop this technology. Different lignin materials will be processed and characterised. Linking their compositional data to the fractionation process data will identify suitable strategies to produce different types of lignin.