In biocatalysis the traditional bottlenecks like inefficient stability, toxicity problems, and difficulties in running continuous processes are still prevailing. In the recent years the exploitation of surface attached microbes termed ‘biofilms’ has received increasing attention as these microbial communities have the potential to counteract such shortfalls[1]. Furthermore, the biofilm concept has been extended to photo(auto)trophic organisms, which utilize light as energy and carbon dioxide as carbon source[2]. Especially in the context of climate change and carbon dioxide budgets this research has become increasingly relevant. Here, the current state-of-the-art in biofilm engineering will be presented with special emphasis on photo-active biofilm consortia.
References
[1] Oana Ciofu, Claus Moser, Peter Østrup Jensen, Niels Høiby,Tolerance and resistance of microbial biofilms. Nat. Rev. Microbiol. 20, 621–635 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41579-022-00682-4.
[2] Anna Hoschek, Ingeborg Heuschkel,Andreas Schmid, Bruno Bühler, Rohan Karande, Katja Bühler, Mixed-species biofilms for high-cell-density application of Synechocystissp. PCC 6803 in capillary reactors for continuouscyclohexaneoxidationtocyclohexanol. Bioresour. Technol. 282, 171–178(2019). http://doi.org/10.1016 j.biortech.2019.02.093.
Prof. Dr. Katja Bühler University Education and Professional Experience
12/2015 - present Professor (W2) Technology of productive Biofilms, TU Dresden
09/2014 - present Group Leader, ‘Catalytic Biofilms’, UFZ Leipzig
2014 Habilitation ‘Biotechnology & Catalytic Biofilms’ at TU Dortmund
10/2004 - 08/2014 Group Leader ‘Technical Enzymology’ TU Dortmund
2001 - 2004 Postdoc at ETH Zurich
1998 - 2001 PhD TU Hamburg-Harburg 'Characterization of a thermostable alkane oxidizing system'
1999 - 2001 Visiting scientist ETH Zurich
1993 - 1998 Study of biological sciences at the University of Hamburg (Dipl. Biol.)
Research Areas
• Productive biofilm systems
• Whole-cell Biocatalysis
