FRAUNHOFER INSTITUTE FOR INTERFACIAL ENGINEERING AND BIOTECHNOLOGY IGB ANNUAL REPORT 2013 | 14 The cover picture shows giant unilamellar vesicles of different sizes in a solution stained with trypan blue. These liposomes are microscopic lipid vesicles filled with buffer. Fraunhofer IGB researchers insert transmembrane proteins such as ATP synthase into the vesicles in order to study their catalytic functions under different environmental conditions. ANNUAL REPORT 2013 | 14 CONTENTS 6 FOREWORD PROFILE 8 Brief profi le 9 Advisory Board of the Fraunhofer IGB 10 Services and infrastructure 12 Key fi gures 14 Organization chart 66 MEDICINE 16 The Fraunhofer IGB’s networking activities 18 The Fraunhofer CBP’s networking activities 68 In-vitro test systems for the evaluation of novel 19 Fraunhofer Groups and Alliances bone implants 70 Raman-spectroscopy in biomedical engineering and regenerative medicine HIGHLIGHTS 2013 72 Functional genomics via next-generation sequencing 22 Anniversary year at the Fraunhofer IGB 74 Strategies for heart valve tissue engineering and 25 Projects and project groups cardiovascular regenerative medicine 28 Bioeconomy research strategy 76 Electron spin resonance (ESR) for measuring radicals 30 Fraunhofer Lighthouse Projects in irradiated foods and medical devices 33 Fraunhofer IGB international 78 Printable 3D matrices for the engineering of bioartifi cial 38 Appointments and awards cartilage 40 Promoting young talents – exhibitions 80 FYI-chip – detection of human yeast and fungal 43 Sustainable development in dialog pathogens using a lab-on-a-chip device COMPETENCES 82 PHARMACY 47 Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft 48 Interfacial Engineering and Materials Science 84 In-vitro model for human squamous cell carcinoma 50 Molecular Biotechnology 86 Screening for new immunmodulators 52 Physical Process Technology 88 Development of a combined in-vitro / in-silico lung 54 Environmental Biotechnology and tumor model for personalized therapy Bioprocess Engineering 90 Cornea organ model-test system 56 Cell and Tissue Engineering 58 Fraunhofer CBP 60 Project Group BioCat 62 Project Group Oncology 64 Institute of Interfacial Process Engineering and Plasma Technology IGVP 4 92 CHEMISTRY APPENDIX 127 Patents granted 94 Laser printing polymer particles for biomaterial 128 Trade fairs and events applications 129 Trade fairs and events, preview 2014 96 New chemical building blocks from terpenoid waste 130 Committee memberships streams 133 Scientifi c cooperations 98 Lignocellulose biorefi nery – 136 Lectures and seminars successful implementation on the pilot scale 140 Academic theses 100 Rapid testing methods for material characterization – 143 Publications plasma weathering of surfaces 160 Information service 102 BioConSepT – from plants to plastic 161 Editorial notes 104 New enzymes for the modifi cation of lignin 106 Manufacture of organically certifi ed cosmetics from renewable raw materials 108 ENVIRONMENT 110 Water extraction from air moisture using an innovative sorption method 112 Closing material cycles to achieve sustainable production of fertilizers and soil conditioners 114 Morgenstadt – water in the city of the future 116 Detection of hazardous substances using a combination of physical and biological sensor technology 118 ENERGY 120 Energy conversion by osmosis 122 Biogas production using byproducts from crab shell reutilization 124 Enzyme technical production of methanol and formic acid from formaldehyde 5 “60 YEARS OF FRAUNHOFER IGB – 60 YEARS OF RESEARCH INTO INTERFACES – 60 YEARS OF INNOVATION FOR SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY” Last year the Fraunhofer IGB turned 60 and – as at its incep- vital. The sustainable use of natural resources and develop- tion in 1953 – still bears “interfaces” in its name. Equally, ing effi cient value chains, processes and products are core research into interfacial phenomena still accounts for a major priorities in bioeconomy research. Through our work on the share of the R&D activities at the institute. Interfaces separate sustainable material and energetic utilization of renewable two phases or substances from each other. At interfaces, raw materials in Baden-Württemberg, Germany and Europe, properties change abruptly, or, in other words, they are the we want to make a leading contribution toward realizing place where new phenomena occur – and give rise to the in- the bioeconomy. Last July, we joined with the universities of novations of today, facilitated through the interplay of various Baden-Württemberg in presenting the concluding report of disciplines. the Bioeconomy Strategy Group to Science Minister Theresia Bauer, as the basis for Baden-Württemberg’s bioeconomy re- 60 years mean six decades of innovations and contributions search strategy. to the sustainable development of science, economy and soci- ety. Thanks to its employees, the Fraunhofer IGB has evolved Besides its work on organic raw materials, the IGB is working over the last 60 years into an innovative body at the forefront intensively on developing technologies for the extraction of of interfacial R&D. The respective directors have each exer- rare earth elements from primary raw and residual materials. cised their own particular formative infl uence on the subject The focus here is on processes for chemical and biological areas and the disciplines pursued by the institute. Today, the leach liquors, as well as selective separation using electro- institute serves the fi ve business areas Medicine, Pharmacy, chemical and membrane-based processes. The IGB is there- Chemistry, Environment and Energy with its core competences fore also one of the partners on the Fraunhofer “Criticality of in Interfacial Engineering and Materials Science, Physical Pro- rare earth metals” lighthouse project. cess Technology, Environmental Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering, Molecular Biotechnology, and Cell and Tissue Developing resource and energy-effi cient processes con- Engineering. tinues to be a central focus of research at the Fraunhofer IGB. We are working together with partners from industry Through its memberships in the Fraunhofer Life Sciences and and academia to improve production process chains in both MATERIALS groups as well as eight Fraunhofer alliances, the the Fraunhofer “E3 production” lighthouse project and the Fraunhofer IGB is fi rmly rooted in the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft. industry-on-campus project “Raw material and energy ef- Over and above this, the institute benefi ts from its close fi ciency through process innovations” funded by the Baden- association with the universities of Stuttgart, Tübingen, Ho- Württemberg Ministry of Science, Research and the Arts. This henheim, Würzburg, Munich and Halle-Wittenberg, which constitutes a key contribution by the Fraunhofer IGB to the provide it with inspiration and insights from basic research regional resource effi ciency strategy. that fi lter into the translation of research results into industrial practice. In the interfacial area, we have signifi cantly expanded our basic research capabilities in the past year by the integration The reduction of global CO2 emissions, combating disease and of the IPF into the IGVT and its renaming as the Institute of hunger, and securing a global supply of water, raw materials Interfacial Process Engineering and Plasma Technology IGVP. and energy are the major challenges facing humanity in the Plasma physics fundamentals are now complemented by com- 21st century. Against this backdrop, developing and realizing petence in plasma dynamics and diagnostics, microwave tech- sustainable processes and products is becoming ever more nology and plasma technology. Together with the Fraunhofer 6 IGB the IGVP now constitutes a center of excellence in the Our future work will be essentially characterized by the vision fi eld of plasma technology in Stuttgart with strong interna- “Ever better together”, developed as part of our strategy and tional visibility. mission-statement process, and by our mission “to contrib- ute through innovation to the sustainable development of Last year we also saw great success in the development of the economy, society and the environment” by carrying out new biocompatible materials and material surfaces. Together “application-oriented research in the areas of medicine, phar- with University of Stuttgart institutes in the areas of biology macy, chemistry, the environment and energy” in accordance and chemistry, we obtained funding from the Carl Zeiss Foun- “with the principles of good scientifi c practice and on the ba- dation for the “NanoBioMater” project house. The house will sis of our competences and guiding principles.” enable biologists, chemists, materials scientists and engineers to develop intelligent biocompatible functional materials for This annual report aims to give you an insight into the medical technology, diagnostics and environmental analysis Fraunhofer IGB’s R&D projects, and illustrate the institute’s under one roof. contribution to the sustainable development of science, in- dustry and society. I would be delighted if the 2013 report The world’s future energy supply depends not only on the arouses your interest in our R&D activities and in future col- increased use of renewable energies, but also on novel energy laboration. Together with our customers and partners, we aim storage systems. We are therefore working intensively at our to shape the future of the region, of Germany and of Europe Stuttgart and Straubing sites on developing and testing ther- through innovative, sustainable developments