Downstream process development for cell defence substances from high salinity cultivation broth

(Lea Martin, M.Sc.)

The accumulation of cell protective substances, so-called compatible solutes, enables halophilic bacteria to live in high salinity environment. These molecules act as osmolytes, without interfering with the cell metabolism and consequently are a promising product for pharma and cosmetic industries.

The project multidisciplinary deals with the whole production and purification process of this osmoprotective molecules aiming for a product-optimised bacterial strain, a resource friendly and economical purification method and a final scale-up of the process. For further industrial application, stringent requirements are placed, regarding the purity of the product. The major challenge of the downstream is an energy saving desalting process step. For this, the Bioseparation Engineering Group is developing an efficient, multi-stage procedure based on alternative und innovatively applied process steps.

The Federal Ministry of Education and Research financially supports the Halophilic Bacteria for BIocaTalysis (HOBBIT) project. The partners are the Systems Biotechnology group at the Technical University of Munich, Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry at FU Berlin, Biophysics II / Department of Structural Biology at Universität Regensburg and Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung.