Electrobiotechnology

Team-leader
Dr. Benjamin Korth
Deputy group leader and team-leader
Thermodynamics of electroactive microorganisms
PhD Students
Daniel Dzofou Ngoumelah (DBFZ)
Maliheh Abdollahi Mirabadi
Shabnam Pouresmaeil (DBFZ)
Yvonne Schößow
Aykut Kas
Technicians
Anne Kuchenbuch
Cornelia Dilßner
Angelika Wichmann
Philip Haus
Undergraduates & Guests
Florian Fischer (Leipzig University)
Chiara Langer (Hiwi, Leipzig University)
Zainab Ul Kausar (UAB, Spain)

Part of a vibrant international community
Research Topics
The group is active in the following areas:
- Development of new bioelectrotechnological processes
- Bioelectrochemical steering of microbial cultures
- Study of the microbial ecology of electroactive microbial cultures
- Development of new methods and protocols in the field
- Fancy ad hoc projects (related to microbiology and/ or electrochemistry)
Current third-party-funded projects
- Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)
Plug-n-Syn: Einfache, modulare und skalierbare Reaktoren für die stromgetriebene Biosynthese
PI: F. Harnisch
Funding period: 10/2022 - 09/2023 - Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG)
Priority Programme SPP2240: eBiotech
ESCAPE: Establishing a scalable bioprocess reactor platform for cathodic obligate anaerobic electrobiosynthesis
PI: F. Harnisch
Partner und Coordinator for tandem project: Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research (Prof. Dr. M. A. Rosenbaum)
Funding period: 07/2021 - 06/2024
Link (external) - European Union (EU)
VIVALDI: innoVative bIo-based chains for CO2 VALorisation as aDded-value organIc acids
PI: F. Harnisch
Coordinator: Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona - UAB (Spanien)
Partner: VERTECH (France), VITO (Belgium), CO2 Value Europe AISBL (Belgium), ISLE (The Netherlands), Universität für Bodenkultur Wien - BOKU (Austria), Lula Tekniska Universitet - LTU (Sweden), Avantium Chemicals BV (The Netherlands), LEITAT (Spaain), SunPine AB (Sweden), Bioagra S.A. (Poland)
Estrella de Levante S.A.U. (Spain), Processium (France), Nutrition Sciences (Belgium)
Funding period: 06/2021 - 05/2025
Link (external) - Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) - CO2WIN
GAMES - Gas diffusion electrodes for coupled microbial-electrochemical syntheses from CO2
PI für TP 5: Halophilic microbial electrosynthesis: F. Harnisch
Coordinator: Technische Hochschule Mittelhessen - THM (Prof. Dr. D. Holtmann)
Partner: DECHEMA-Forschungsinstitut - DFI, Gesellschaft für Gassysteme durch Katalyse und Elektrochemie mbH - Gaskatel, ifn Forschungs- u. Technologiezentrum GmbH
Funding period: 04/2021 - 03/2025
- Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) - VIP+
MolkeKraft: Microbial-electrochemical exploitation of sour whey for the production of drop-in aviation fuel
PI: F. Harnisch
Partner: Tübingen University (Prof. Dr. L.T. Angenent)
Funding period: 05/2019 - 12/2022 - Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) - ERANETMED
WAFRA - Wireless Aquaponic Farming in Remote Areas: A smart adaptive socio-economic solution
PI: F. Harnisch
Partner: Ain Shams University (Egypt, Coordination), National Center for Radiation Research and Technology (Egypt), The University of Tunis El Manar (Tunesia), University of Girona (Spain), University of Salerno (Italy)
Funding period: 11/2018 - 02/2021 - Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)
BioFAVOR II – Entwicklung und Evaluierung einer mobilen Demonstrationsanlage für die dezentrale Verwertung menschlicher Fäkalien
PIs: T. Hübner & F. Harnisch (Host)
Funding period: 04/2018 - 09/2020 - Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)
ElektroPapier - Entwicklung papierbasierter Elektroden für die mikrobielle elektrochemische Abwasserreinigung
Work package 5: Microbial analyis
PIs: F. Harnisch & S. Müller
Partners: EnviroChemie (Coordinator), FuMATech GmbH, Koehler Greiz GmbH & Co KG, Graphit Kropfmühl GmbH, Papiertechnische Stiftung, TU Braunschweig (IÖNC und ISWW),
Funding period: 05/2016 - 12/2019 - The Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)
Award Biotechnology 2020+
PI: F. Harnisch
Funding period: 11/2012 - 12/2018 - The Helmholtz-Association and the UFZ
Helmholtz Young Investigators Group
PI: F. Harnisch
Funding period: 11/2012 - 12/2018 - German Environmental Foundation (DBU)
Microbial Bioelectrotechnology: A plattform-initiative for Germany
PIs: F. Harnisch, M. A.-Rosenbaum (RWTH Aachen), U. Schröder (TU Braunschweig)
Funding period: 10/2013 - 12/2018 - Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)
BioFAVOR: Entwicklung einer mobilen Anlage zur Erzeugung von Biokohle aus Fäkalschlamm
PIs: T. Hübner & F. Harnisch (Host)
Funding period: 09/2016 - 05/2017 - The Helmholtz-Association and the UFZ - Helmholtz-PostDoc-Fellowship
Development of a platform for the visualization and analysis of electroactive microbial biofilms
Fellow: G. Schkolnik
Hosts: F. Harnisch and N. Musat
Funding period: 10/2014 - 06/2016 - Electrochemical Society (ECS)
A Fully Cardboard Based Microbial Fuel Cell
PI: F. Harnisch
Partners: DBFZ, TU Braunschweig
Funding period: 07/2015 - 01/2016