Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark

The Technical University of Denmark is represented by the Center for Systems Microbiology (CSM) from the Department of Systems Biology. The Center was established in 2007 by Professor Peter Ruhdal Jensen and has today around 35 employees. This research group is one of the world leaders in the area of systems biology of bacterial based industrial bioprocesses. The research is currently funded by a range of research programs and collaborative projects with industrial partners.

The expertise of CSM includes fermentation, bacterial physiology, molecular genetics and metabolic engineering. The group is highly skilled in Bacterial Systems Biology including transcriptomics, proteomics and mathematical modelling. In addition, the group has a proven track record within the field of random mutagenesis and screening and has a core competence in developing tools for genetic engineering of a broad range of microorganisms and application of this to optimisation of industrially relevant microbial processes such as ethanol, acetate, lactate and amino acid production.

Role in the project: DTU will be responsible for initializing the research by determining the anaerobic biodegradability of glycerol feedstocks, discovery and improvement of new biocatalysts, carrying out lab-scale fermentation tests and contributing with data input for pilot-scale process design. DTU is responsible for coordinating the project activities between all partners and project management.

Key staff: Peter Ruhdal Jensen, GLYFINERY co-ordinator, is Professor in Control Analysis and Systems Biology and director of the Center for Systems Microbiology.

Mhairi Workman, PhD., Associate Professor at CSM is the daily manager of the GLYFINERY project.

BioGasol Aps, Ballerup, Denmark

BioGasol ApS is an engineering and technology company developing and designing technologies for second generation bioethanol production. BioGasol is based on technology in the areas of pre-treatment of lignocellulosic materials, enzymatic hydrolysis of lignocellulose, fermentation, anaerobic digestion and with speciality in anaerobic thermophilic bacteria for ethanol production. BioGasol´s process technology is innovative and offers a cost effective production of biofuels such as bioethanol, hydrogen, methane and other valuable byproducts.

Role in the project: BioGasol will be responsible for strain improvement, pilot-scale testing and economic assessment in the GLYFINERY project.

Key staff: Marie Just Mikkelsen, PhD., Microbial Manager at BioGasol.

A&A Biotechnology, Gdynia, POLAND

A&A Biotechnology is a small biotech-company developing tools for molecular biology with research activities in a number of biotechnological projects. The company was established in 1993 and employs 3 research scientists and 1 technician. The company delivers products to many individual customers as well as small distributors in Europe as well as the biggest life sciences companies in the USA. All products are originally elaborated and developed by A&A Biotechnology.

Role in the project: A&A Biotechnology will perform isolation studies, strain improvement and lab-scale fermentation for the production of green chemicals from glycerol.

Key staff: Slawomir Dabrowski, M. Sc. and Ph.D. in Biotechnology from Technical University of Gdansk.

The Institute for Energy and Environmental Research, IFEU, Heidelberg, Germany

IFEU was founded 30 years ago and became an independent body for environmental research. Today it is registered as a private, non-profit organization. The experience covers areas including life cycle assessment, environmental implication of traffic, renewable energies and energy planning, air pollution control, environmental impact assessment and environmental management. IFEU employees 40 scientists, most of them being natural scientists, and including engineers and economists. The regular clients of IFEU are local, regional and federal governments, the German Environmental Protection Agency (UBA) and the European Commission, national and international foundations and organisations as well as companies and industry associations. IFEU participates in many national and international advisory committees and panels and has a key position in the present discussion of the subjects mentioned above. More than 1.000 research projects have been carried out since its foundation.

Role in the project: IFEU will carry out the environmental- and integrated assessment of the GLYFINERY project.

Key staff: Guido A. Reinhardt, PhD., scientific director and member of the scientific board of IFEU.

MEROCO, Leopoldov, Slovakia

MEROCO a.s., is a member of the strong Slovak group of companies, where core business is diversified into two main fields: food industry and biofuels industry. The companies belonging to the group are significant Slovak producers of extra fine ethanol, spirits, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, mineral waters and condiments. From 2007 the group became one of the leading European producers of bioethanol. MEROCO supplements the concept of the group as a large biofuels supplier with the production of rape methylester. The technological process of methylester production is a modern concept with multiple operational units for achieving the maximum conversion of the long chain fatty acids into methylester, and ensuring the maximum possible recycling of catalysts. The by-product is glycerol of commercial quality with 87% glycerol and smaller fraction of impurities, i.e. up to 1% fatty acids, sodium chloride, sodium sulphate and sodium phosphate.

Role in the project: MEROCO will be supplier of the glycerol substrate for all the research and development work of the GLYFINERY project.

Key staff: Mr. Dusan Harustiak, General Manager at MEROCO, holds a M. Sc. degree in economy and management.

ProChimia Surface, Sopot, Poland

ProChimia Surface is a privately held start-up company established in June 2001. ProChimia provides the research community worldwide with unique chemicals for biocompatible surfaces and custom-made compounds. The team of scientists and technicians is experienced and highly skilled is performing purification processes of chemical substrates, by-products and final target compounds. Each of the routine laboratory efforts contains multiple purification steps carefully elaborated and optimized at ProChimia’s laboratories. The processes commonly applied are organic phase extraction, gel filtration, distillation and crystallization, with highest possible synthesis and recovery yields, purity and economical productivity. The chemicals of the ProChimia Surface cover multiple organic mixtures which are being delivered to over 600 customers both in academia and industry.

Role in the project: The recovery of liquid biofuels and green chemicals from the post-fermentation broth will be a natural continuation of the company interest in chemical separation and purification processes and expanding the area of expertise into the field of biotechnology, particularly for recovery of biobased chemicals and liquid biofuels. ProChimia will elaborate small-scale purification processes of microbial fermentation products, validate them, consult and evaluate the up-scaled processes. ProChimia will seek the most efficient separation routes and will provide experimental feedback to the partner teams.

Key staff: Piotr Barski, PhD., co-founder of ProChimia and C.E.O. since 2002.