DRC Life Science

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DRC - Life Science Technology
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Who is here today to represent the DRC Life
Science Technology ?
Karel Luyben Dean of Applied Sciences Han de
Winde Director of DRC -LST Head of Department
Biotechnology Fred Hagen Chair of Enzymology
(presenter) Mark van Loosdrecht Chair of
Environmental Biotechnology Marcel
Reinders Chair of Information Communication
Theory
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Research groups in the DRC - LST
Biocatalysis Organic Chemistry Biotechnology
and Society Bioseparation technology Bioprocess
technology Environmental Biotechnology Industrial
Microbiology Enzymology Analytical Biotechnology
Quantitative Imaging
Bioinformatics
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Life Science Technology in Delft
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Valorization and utilization of research(strong
existing industrial network)
One-half of the full professors in the DRC have a
background in industry
10 patents published yearly

• Broad Industrial Users Committee of the DRC
• DSM Life Sciences
• WETSUS Centre for Sustainable Water Treatment
• Unilever Research
• Shell Global Solutions International
• Wageningen University Research Centre
• Centocor BV
• Leiden University
• Heineken Technical Services

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Valorization and utilization of research (spin
offs)
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Strategy of the DRC LST(plan AB new staff
and new links)
A New staff and stuff Reenforcement of the
DRCs scientific basis by (pre)-financing of new
staff (roof constructions) and equipment (key
additions) Combine with active quest for
re-financing to facilitate plan B. B New links
and directions Integration of research by joint
research efforts (PhD projects) in new
directions.
Acquisition of external funds
Interdisciplinary collaboration
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Plan-B new links new directions

• Biocatalysis Green Chemistry
• Metabolic Engineering Systems Biotechnology
• Environmental Biotechnology
• Bioprocess Technology
• Biomolecular Engineering Tools Products
• Bio-data Acquisition-Monitoring-Interpretation
  Bioinformatics
• Biotechnology Society

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A case study Biofuel from Crop Residue
Current Ethanol Production ca. 40 Million
Tonnes/y
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Current Technology No Utilization of Crop
Residues
corn stover
Crop residues Abundantly available No
competition with food production (Hemi)cellulose
instead of starch/sucrose
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Sugars in Crop Residues
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Biochemistry of X ylose Metabolism in S.
cerevisiae
xylose
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Metabolic Engineering of Xylose Conversion
Overexpression of 5 yeast genes removal of a
sixth gene
6 xylulose 6 C5P 2 C3P 4
C6P
6 xylose
byproduct
normal sugar metabolism

• Science
• Valorization
• Funds
• Interdisciplinarity
• Profiling

ethanol
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External Profiling and Communication
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DRC-LST Outlook