Institute of Microbiology

Further research interests are the synthesis and degradation of biopolymers (polyhydroxyalkanoates, isoprenbonds, rubber) and optimization of microbial nitrilases and  nitrile hydratases, that can be used for the stereoselective synthesis of valuable materials. In addition to the traditional isolation of microorganisms from environmental samples we use a range of methods for screening by cloning and overexpression of genes, purification and functional characterization of enzymes, as well as the analysis of metabolites by modern chromatographic methods (GC, HPLC).

Main Activities:

• Utilization of microbial metabolic features in biotechnology.
• Metabolic engineering of bacterial pathways.
• Characterization of novel metabolic pathways in bacteria and isolation of enzymes involved therein.
• System optimization for technical applications making use of biochemical engineering and molecular biology.
• Chemo-, regio- und stereoselective biotransformations and chemo-enzymatic syntheses of compounds
  that are not readily accessible by chemical synthesis (amino acids, vitamins, fine chemicals).
• Evolutionary strategies to alter biocatalysts. Identification of novel biocatalysts via databank searches ("genome mining").
• Analysis and circumvention of bottleneck reactions in biosynthesis of fine chemicals
• Degradation of dyes and polymers (polyhydroxyalkanoates and natural rubber).

Qualification:

Long term experience in above mentioned areas of research through cooperation with industrial partners and public-sponsored research projects. Cooperation in national and international scientific committess. Staff: 18 scientists.

Equipment:

Apparatus for cultivation of microorganisms, analysis of metabolic products and activities (GC, HPLC, DOC), for purification and characterization of enzymes and other polymers. Molecular characterization of genes.

Target Groups:

Chemistry and pharmaceutical companies for cooperations in the fields of biocatalysts and fine chemicals.