Research • Educate • Connect
Towards a sustainable bioeconomy

Research • Educate • Connect
Towards a sustainable bioeconomy

11th BioSC Forum (Internal Retreat)

April 1, 2025 • full day • Central Library, Forschungszentrum Jülich

On April 1, the 11th BioSC Forum took place in the Central Library of Forschungszentrum Jülich. After a warm welcome by Heike Slusarczyk, Ulrich Schurr gave an overview of the last 15 years of the BioSC as a bioeconomy research hub in NRW. BioSC members presented long-term developments in the fields of bioplastics, fibers, functional molecules and process technologies, including third-party funded follow-up projects and start-up spin-offs. The relevance of bioeconomy research for societal challenges such as climate change was discussed in breakout sessions and a subsequent panel discussion. In the afternoon, new results from ongoing BioSC projects on a wide range of topics were presented.

The forum ended after fruitful and interesting discussions at the posters from all current BioSC projects. Thank you to all speakers and participants for a day full of networking.

AGENDA 

08:30

Registration coffee

09:00

Welcome and introduction

Heike Slusarczyk, BioSC Office

09:05

BioSC within the Bioeconomy Landscape - Past | Present | Future Perspectives

Ulrich Schurr, FZ Jülich / BioSC

09:30

Introduction of new CoreGroups

09:40

Collaboration within the BioSC: Overview, highlights and future perspectives

Closing cycles in the plastics bioeconomy
Nick Wierck
, IBG-1, FZ Jülich / Sonja Herres-Pawlis, IAC, RWTH Aachen

Functional molecules for farming and pharma: Identification - characterization - synthesis - application
Anika Wiese-Klinkenberg
, IBG-4, FZ Jülich / Philipp Sowa, IBOC, HHU Düsseldorf

From fibers to materials for the bioeconomy
Holger Klose
, IBG-2, FZ Jülich / Jeanette Klink-Lehmann, ILR, Uni Bonn

BioSC contributions to sustainable process technologies
Andreas Jupke
, AVT.FVT, RWTH Aachen / Paul Fliser, BioThrust GmbH, Aachen

Beyound the NRW strategy project
Heike Slusarczyk
, BioSC Office

11:10

Coffee break

11:40

What is the impact of (BioSC) research for addressing global challenges?

Impulse talk • Breakout sessions • Panel discussion

13:10

Lunch

13:55

Diving deeper into BioSC Research - Discussing recent results and development in BioSC projects and bioeconomy

Seed Fund InterPepHerb - Interfering Peptides as C4-specific Herbicides
Meike Sauerland
, Biochemical Plant Physiology, HHU Düsseldorf

Seed Fund ProPlantMicro - Production, vesicle encapsulation and plant growth promoting effects of microbial siderophores
Luzie Kruse
, IMET – Molecular Enyzme Technology, HHU Düsseldorf

PhD project Food4Root – Polyphosphate and polyglutamate beads to deliver nutrients and promote root growth
Frederik Völker, iAMB – Applied Microbiology, RWTH Aachen

PhD project greenDegradation - Degradation of Pectin- and Chitosan-Microgels by the Soil Microbiome
Fabian Kolodzy
, IMTC/DWI – Functional and Interactive Polymers, RWTH Aachen

Seed Fund RhamBO - Rhamnolipid field application for sugar beet protection and feasibility of microbial production using overpressure
Sandra Bredenbruch
, INRES – Molecular Phytomedicine, Uni Bonn

Generation B(ioconomy) Mentoring Programme IN-FIBRE - Integrated multistep approaches for efficient cellulose fibre extraction from alternative sources
Halim Choo
, IBG-2: Plant Sciences, FZ Jülich

Boost Fund OptiCellu - A multidisciplinary approach towards the sustainable production of cellulose fibres
Partho Sakha De
, Computational Cell Biology, HHU Düsseldorf

Seed Fund LignoPharm - From the valorisation of lignin to new pharmaceuticals
Larissa Laurini
, IAC – Bioinorganic Chemistry, RWTH Aachen

Generation B(ioconomy) Mentoring Programme SmartBio - Smart Matching - Advancing Bioeconomy by understanding substrate process interaction
Marcel Mann
, AVT.BioVT – Biochemical Engineering, RWTH Aachen

Seed Fund CasCar - Locally immobilized synthetic enzyme cascades: NoCAR as a model system
Benoit David
, IBG-4: Bioinformatics, FZ Jülich

Seed Fund OpTooGlu - Optogenetic Toolbox for Two-color Light-controlled Gene Expression in the Acetic Acid Bacterium Gluconobacter oxydans
Tino Polen
, IBG-1: Biotechnology, FZ Jülich

PhD project CyPrACol - Efficiency of Cyanobacterial Production with Artificially Composed Lights
Andreas Nakielski, Synthetic Microbiology, HHU Düsseldorf

Boost Fund Eco-T-Rex - Economically Guided Process Development for Biobased Production of Monomers for Polymerization using Terpenoid based Extraction for Purification
Johannes Többen
, ICE-2 – Jülich Systems Analysis, FZ Jülich

Generation B(ioconomy) Mentoring Programme FiberSysTain - Leveraging Systems Knowledge to Enhance Sustainable Practices in a Thriving Pulp and Paper Industry
Florian Siekmann
, ICE-2 – Jülich Systems Analysis, FZ Jülich

15:40

Summary

Heike Slusarczyk, BioSC Office

 15:45

Group picture

Poster session & Get-together

17:00

End of event