Project partners
BioBuF consists of four work packages (WP).
- WP1 – project coordination
- WP2 – raw material analysis
- WP3 – separation and conversion processes
- WP4 – upscaling and process integration
Eva Albers
Researcher, Industrial biotechnology, Chalmers
Research focus: Biotechnological use of algae as biomass and renewable raw material. The impact of industrial conditions on biotechnological processes. Bioanalytical chemistry, metabolism and microbial physiology, natural products chemistry, and use of modelling and metabolomics as tools. Eva Albers is mainly active in WP2 in BioBUF.
Maurizio Bettiga
Researcher, Industrial biotechnology, Chalmers
Research focus: Primary focus is anaerobic digestion of lignocellulosic substrates with particular emphasis on microbiology and enzymology in the hydrolysis step. Secondary focus is yeast’s tolerance for furfural and acetic acid, and detoxification of phenolic compounds. Maurizio Bettiga is in BioBUF mainly active in WP3.
Christel Cederberg
Professor, Physical resource theory, Chalmers
Research focus: Methods for environmental assessments of biomass production with emphasis on land use, and on analyses of sustainable management and production of biomass. Christel Cederberg is, in BioBUF, mainly working within WP2.
Anna Ekman
Researcher, Life science and material, RISE
Research focus: Life cycle assessment (LCA) and system studies of biobased products and biorefineries. Anna Ekman is, in BioBUF, mainly working within WP2.
anna.ekman(at)rise.se
Carl-Johan Franzén
Associate professor, Industrial biotechnology, Chalmers
Research focus: Development of robust biotechnical processes through kinetic modelling, strain development, as well as physiologically based control of bioprocesses and microbial metabolism. Focus within BioBUF is on bioconversion of lignin to aromatic chemicals.
Within BioBUF, Carl Johan Franzén works within WP1 and WP3.
Salvatore Fusco
Post doc, Industrial biotechnology, Chalmers
Research focus: Earlier research was focused on the construction of virus insensitive thermophilic strains (VITSs) for potential industrial applications. Focus in the BioBUF project is to identify and/or design suitable metabolic pathways to convert lignin-derived phenolic compounds into fine and bulk chemicals. With this aim, yeast strains and potentially also other microorganisms will be engineered. Salvatore Fusco is in BioBUF mainly working within WP3.
Simon Harvey
Professor in Industrial Energy Systems, Energy technology, Chalmers
Research focus: Energy efficiency in the process industry; Process integration and techno-economic analysis of biorefinery concepts in industrial applications; Assessment of biorefinery concepts considering energy efficiency, economy, and greenhouse gas emissions. In the BioBUF project, Simon Harvey is working in WP4.
Matty Janssen
Researcher, Environmental system analysis, Chalmers
Research focus: Life cycle assessment (LCA) of the proposed biorefinery concept, with focus on the use of LCA during the development stage of process technologies with a prospective perspective, and the upscaling of LCA results from lab to industrial scale. In BioBUF, Matty Janssen works mainly in WP4 but also in WP2.
Emma Karlsson
PhD student, Industrial biotechnology, Chalmerss
Research focus: Engineering of yeast strain with possibility to produce adipic acid. The process will be improved through analysis and optimization of the strain on both a genetic and fermentation level. Emma Karlsson works in WP3 in BioBUF.
Valeria Mapelli
Researcher, Industrial biotechnology, Chalmers
Research focus. Metabolic engineering of yeast, understanding microbial physiology for improvement of industrial fermentations, and the study of bioelectrochemical systems for implementation in biorefineries. In BioBUF Valeria Mapelli is working in WP3.
Cecilia Mattsson
Post doc, Forest products and chemical engineering, Chalmers
Research focus: Conversion of lignin to high value products, such as aromatic chemicals and fuels. In BioBUF, the research focus is on chemical depolymerization of lignin and characterization of the structure using NMR, 2D-NMR, GPC and GC-MS. A goal is to find chemical intermediates that can be further refined in production of chemical and materials. Cecilia Mattsson works mainly within WP3 in BioBUF.
Joshua Mayers
Post doc, Industrial biotechnology, Chalmers
Research focus: Physiology and biochemistry for microalgae for process optimization of biotechnical and photosynthetic processes. Development of a sustainable process, yielding valuable isoprenoid compounds, with residual materials being considered as a fermentative feedstock. Remediation of nutrients and CO2 from waste streams is also being investigated as an essential step in attaining overall sustainability. In BioBUF, Joshua Mayers is working in WP2.
Lisbeth Olsson
Professor, Industrial biotechnology, Chalmers
Research focus: Design and use of enzymes and microorganisms for biorefinery concepts from lignocellulosic raw material. In BioBUF, the focus is on developing microorganisms for production of adipic acid from GROT. Lisbeth Olsson is the project leader of BioBUF and is mainly working within WP1 and WP3.
Veronica Saez Jimenez
Post doc, Industrial biotechnology, Chalmers
Research focus: Enzymology and protein engineering with aim to generate a novel enzyme activity to be used in the bio-based production of adipic acid. In BioBUF, Veronica Saez Jimenez is working in WP3.
Jae Ho Shin
PhD student, Industrial biotechnology, Chalmers
Research focus: Synthetic pathway engineering and host strain engineering. In the BioBUF project he will test various pathways for adipic acid biosynthesis from Swedish non-food lignocellulosic material as sustainable and bio-based carbon sources. Jae Ho Shin is working in WP3.
Elin Svensson
Researcher, Energy technology, Chalmers
Research focus: Efficient industrial energy systems and strategic decision-making. Economic assessment of different biorefinery concepts to target the main needs for further process developments at lab scale. Elin Svensson works in WP4.
Anne-Marie Tillman
Professor, Environmental system analysis, Chalmers
Research focus: Research on Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Life Cycle Management (LCM). LCA is the quantitative environmental assessment of product chains, whereas the closely related field LCM is about the governance of product chains towards enhanced environmental performance. Anne-Marie Tillman is, in BioBUF, working in WP2.
Nikolaos Xafenias
Researcher, Industrial biotechnology, Chalmers
Research focus: Bioelectrochemical systems for the sustainable production of valuable chemicals and fuels, and the recovery of nutrients. Design, evaluation of performance and microbial characterisation av bioelectrochemical processes to convert fermentation residues to valuable chemicals. Nikolaos Xafenias is active in WP3 in the BioBUF project.
Former project partners
Christel Kampman
Post doc, Industrial biotechnology, Chalmers
Development of digestion processes under standard conditions and changing conditions. Analyzes of chemical and biochemical parameters, as well as composition of the microbial populations. Christel Kampman was, in BioBUF, active in WP3.
Karin Pettersson
Researcher, Energy and Environment, Chalmers
Research focus: System analysis of the integration of biorefineries to the process industry. Economic assessments of different biorefinery designs. In BioBUF, Karin Pettersson was working in WP4.