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New BioSC projects in 2026

Eight new interdisciplinary SEED FUND 3.0 projects and a White Paper have been launched around the turn of the year. Topics include the optimization of enzymes, production organisms and crops using synthetic biology and bioinformatics, the development of bio-based materials for pharmaceutical and agricultural applications, and the investigation of soil properties and quality in innovative cultivation systems.

New SEED FUND 3.0 projects:

autoTRAIT – AI-driven Tuning of Gene Regulation for Smart Design of Crop Traits

Project coordination: Dr. Jędrzej Jakub Szymański, Prof. Dr. Björn Usadel, IBG-4 Bioinformatics – Omics-/Data-based Bioinformatics, FZ Jülich
Partners: Dr. Tobias Jores, Prof. Dr. Matias Zurbriggen, Institute of Synthetic Biology, HHU Düsseldorf

FamoUS – Fatty-acid medium chain production and optimization in Ustilago maydis

Project coordination: Dr.-Ing. Valentin Steier, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jørgen Magnus, Chair of Biochemical Engineering (AVT.BioVT), RWTH Aachen
Partners: Dr. Kerstin Schipper, Prof. Dr. Michael Feldbrügge, Institute of Microbiology, HHU Düsseldorf

C1Power – Designing robust enzymatic chimera towards synthetic CO₂ fixation via H₂

Project coordination: Dr. Paul R.F. Cordero, Prof. Dr. Lars Lauterbach, iAMB Synthetic Microbiology, RWTH Aachen
Partners:
Dr. Benoit David, Prof. Dr. Holger Gohlke, Computational Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Molecular Bioinformatics, HHU Düsseldorf
Prof. Dr. Marco Oldiges, Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Wiechert, IBG-1 Biotechnology – Systems Biotechnology, FZ Jülich

StRetro – Structure- and Knowledge-based Retrobiosynthesis

Project coordination: Dr. Till El Harrar, Prof. Dr. Holger Gohlke, Computational Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Molecular Bioinformatics, HHU Düsseldorf
Partners:
Prof. Dr. Jörg Pietruszka, Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, HHU Düsseldorf
Dr.-Ing. Stephan Noack, IBG-1 Biotechnology – Systems Biotechnology, FZ Jülich

SludgeChain – Systemic Mapping and Understanding of Governance and Regulatory Challenges in Fiber Crop Value Chains

Project coordination: Dr. Jeanette Klink-Lehmann, Janine Macht, Prof. Dr. Monika Hartmann, ILR Agricultural and Food Market Research, University of Bonn
Partners:
Dr. Holger Klose, Prof. Dr. Ulrich Schurr, IBG-2 Plant Sciences, FZ Jülich
Prof. Dr. Ralf Pude, INRES Renewable Resources, University of Bonn

SoilCE-PV – Assessing Soil Organic Carbon Stock Changes and their Economic Implications in Agri-PV

Project coordination: Dr. Otavio dos Anjos Leal, Dr. Nina Siebers, Prof. Dr. Nicolas Brüggemann, Prof. Dr. Harry Vereecken, IBG-3 Agrosphere, FZ Jülich
Partner:
Dr. Onno Muller, Dr. Christoph Jedmowski, Prof. Dr. Ulrich Schurr, IBG-2 Plant Sciences, FZ Jülich
Vanessa Berghoff, Jun.-Prof. Dr. Dr. Daniel Hermann, ILR Digital Transformation and Circular Economy, University of Bonn

CaseIm – Functionalized casein microparticles and fibres as immobilization carriers for biotechnology and biomedicine

Project coordination: Prof. Dr. Ronald Gebhardt, Chair of Soft Matter Process Engineering (AVT.SMP), RWTH Aachen
Partners: apl. Prof. Dr. Thomas Drepper, Prof. Dr. Ulrich Krauss, Institute of Molecular Enzyme Technology, HHU Düsseldorf

PhotoMat – A Phototrophic Matrix for Soil Stabilization and Erosion Control

Project coordination: Dr. Magdalena Wrona Pezo, Prof. Dr. Ulrich Schurr, IBG-2 Plant Sciences, FZ Jülich
Partner: Prof. Dr. Thomas Gries, ITA Textile Technology and Engineering, RWTH Aachen

New White Paper project:

ReLIGN – Recycling Lignin-based Sustainable Copolymers

Project coordination: Prof. Dr. Sonja Herres-Pawlis, Chair of Bioinorganic Chemistry, RWTH Aachen
Partners:
Niclas Conen, Dr. Philipp M. Grande, Prof. Dr. Ulrich Schurr, IBG-2 Plant Sciences, FZ Jülich
Prof. Dr. Andreas Jupke, Chair of Fluid Process Engineering (AVT.FVT), RWTH Aachen
Participating Scientists:
Prof. Dr. Grit Walther, Chair of Operations Management, RWTH Aachen
Prof. Dr. Dörte Rother, IBG-1 Biotechnology – Systems Biotechnology, FZ Jülich
Prof. Dr. Nick Wierckx, IBG-1 Biotechnology, – Systemic Microbiology, FZ Jülich
Prof. Dr. Lars Blank, iAMB Applied Microbiology, RWTH Aachen