Molecular Biotechnology

The core competences of the department are in the application of molecular-biological and biotechnological methods for genome, transcriptome, and proteome analysis, and an accredited analytics, which is also suitable for metabolome analysis. To make microbial production as efficient as possible, we use our expertise from the molecular-biological optimization of production strains right up to the development of bioprocesses with integrated, effective downstream processing.

In infection biology, the combination of methods of functional genome analysis with our expertise in cell culture technologies lead to a unique expertise in the development of 3D infection models and test systems (e.g. as for the screening of drugs). For targeted drug delivery, we furthermore develop virus-like particles and therapeutic viruses.

Our goal is to understand the processes occurring in nature and to use nature’s toolbox and diversity in biotechnological value chains, for example, in the development of biobased chemicals such as biosurfactants or polymer precursors, but also for new diagnostics and therapeutics. The new technologies in genome and proteome analysis enable us to extensively analyze entire microbial communities from the environment or the bioreactor, as well as the interaction between microorganisms and the human individual in the shortest of times. Using this information, products can be tested and validated, measurements for the specific treatment of a disease can be induced, or personalized medicines for different populations can be developed.

In industrial biotechnology, the easy availability of genomes and the rapid analysis of cellular regulatory circuits offer the possibility to identify new metabolic pathways, to optimize processes directly in the reactor to use this ideally for the production of chemicals or enzymes.

With our expertise, we provide services, also in collaboration with other departments of Fraunhofer IGB, to different areas of the branches medicine, pharmacy, and chemistry. Thus, in the field of biocatalysis we work closely with the BioCat branch in Straubing. Laboratory-scale bioprocesses of up to 10 m³ scale can be developed at the Fraunhofer CBP branch in Leuna. In addition, within the Fraunhofer Group for Life Sciences opportunities exist for the process development of pharmaceutical proteins right up to the GMP production of clinical test samples and studies in clinical phase I.