At the Faculty of Chemistry, experts from two institutes are joining forces to develop circular materials and processes. At the Institute of Material Chemistry, Prof. Alexander Bismarck, whose fungus-based leather substitute has been widely covered, and Assoc. Prof. Robert Woodward will focus on renewable material cycles. In collaboration with other members of the Cluster, they will also explore the transformation of residues into biologically benign compounds at their end-of-life.

My group will develop methods enabling metabolic engineering of highly efficient microbial production processes pushing the technological boundaries towards organelle specific and single cell metabolomics. We will study the environmental burden of new materials by nontargeted analysis and elemental single particle analysis.

Our group will focus on the development of innovative bio-based materials that rival the performance of non-degradable alternatives. We will also explore the use of fungal biorefineries in the production of valuable substrates, as well as for the end-of-life transformation of challenging substrates back into valuable feedstock, enabling sustainable material life cycles.

As a computational biologist, I use computer simulations and AI to design the transition toward a fossil fuel-free future. By integrating advanced computational tools with cutting-edge biotechnology, we're pushing the boundaries of what's possible in bioengineering and enabling a sustainable future.

As a materials chemist, my work will focus on the development of functional green materials with a planned end-of-life, aiming at replacing fossil-derived, non-degradable materials. I will design bio-derived porous polymers with tailored chemical and textural properties suitable for applications including separation, catalysis, and energy storage.