AVT-BioVT-Department of Chemical Engineering, Biochemical Engineering
Head of the Institute
Univ.-Prof. Dr.-Ing. Dr. h. c. (Osaka) Jochen Büchs
Univ.-Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jørgen Magnus
Field of Study
Chemical Engineering
Main Focus
Biochemical Engineering
Research Focus
The AVT.BioVT is primarily concerned with the development of new methods and devices for an efficient bioprocess development. Those methods and devices, developed at our chair, are established in microbial culture systems and enzymatic reactors in collaboration with biologists and industrial partners. Recent fields of research are:
Screening- and small scale culture system:
Within the first steps of screening projects shaken reactors are mainly used in order to reach the required parallelization of numerous experiments. The AVT.BioVT is one of the internationally leading research institutions in the area of characterization of shaken reactors and the development of online measurement as well as analyzing techniques.
Fermentation technology:
This area includes the investigations of mass transfer phenomena, scale-up, balancing, control and exemplary description of fermentation and biotransformation processes. The chair holds a unique 10 bar pressure-fermenter that works as a reactor-calorimeter and is equipped with a torque measuring device.
Tailor-made fuels from biomass (TMFB):
The AVT.BioVT participates in the TMFB Cluster of Excellence. Here, the focus is on screening for suitable biocatalysts, direct fermentation of green biomass to platform chemicals, as well as enzymatic depolymerization in aqueous media and ionic liquids.
Biochemical engineering of viscous systems:
Generally, biochemical engineering of viscous fermentation processes is a new research area for AVT.BioVT. Viscous systems are now characterized in both shaken small scale reactors as well as in stirred tank reactors with respect to process engineering.
Prof. Büchs is head of the research training group "Biocatalysis in non-conventional media (BioNoCo)" and representative of the international research training group "Selectivity in Chemo- and Biocatalysis (SeleCa)", which was founded in cooperation with Osaka University/Japan.
Contact
AVT.BioVT -Department of Chemical Engineering, Biochemical Engineering
Forckenbeckstraße 51
52074 Aachen
Phone: +49 241 80-235 69
Fax: +49 241 80-225 70