Think
#BioForChem
in partnership with
Focal Topic Supplement
JUNE 2018
MAGAZINE
Biotechnology or chemistry?
or the longest time this was a question of principle when it came to producing
fne chemicals, polymers or fuel. In the bioeconomy the best of both worlds
is used – anything goes if it is technically feasible. To bring a process from
feasibility to reality takes a lot of technical equipment and at ACHEMA
2018 you can fnd it all. From laboratory furnishings to huge stainless steel tanks
to engineering companies who assemble the parts, ACHEMA brings technology
into bio-technology. To visit every one of the 150+ companies who have assigned
themselves to the focal topic would mean a tour through almost every hall. Just
follow the ‘Biotech for Chemistry’ icon on the hall foor, which marks the stand of
every associated exhibitor. If you accept this challenge, I salute you.
Give your feet a break every now and then, too and lend an ear to the extensive
congress programme. Room ‘Harmonie 3’ in CMF is the place to be on Tuesday and
Wednesday to listen to talks that go with the focal topic.
This magazine is your guide to ACHEMA 2018 focal topic ‘Biotech for Chemistry’ so
make good use of it and enjoy the trade show.
Dr. Thomas Scheuring
CEO DECHEMA Ausstellungs-Gmb
WELCOME
Dr. Thomas Scheuring,
© DECHEMA
Follow the focal topic: #BioForChem
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IN THIS ISSUE
CORE TEAM
Editor’s note
4 Looking for the bio-based
holy grail
6 #BioForChem
8 Find your way
10 Follow the vitamin journey
12 Q&A with Adeel Aslam of
Bouygues
14 Insight from Sugimat
Editor | Iain Robertson
Partnerships | Susan Robertson
Digital | Ryan McFadyen
Design | Blair Carrick
News & Features | Carlotta De Toni
Operations | Gillian Greig
This magazine was produced as a special edition for the focal topic, ‘Biotech for Chemistry’ at ACHEMA 2018 in partnership with the organisers at DECHEMA Society for
Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology. This edition is printed on carefully sourced paper from sustainable sources. We ensure the highest quality standards at all times
however, we cannot accept responsibility for efects from any unlikely errors or omissions. All material is copyright, however we are happy for you to share this edition online
and you’ll fnd digital versions of our recent publications on our website. If you would like to fnd out more about working with us, or showcasing your business through our
channels, we would love to hear from you.
elcome to ACHEMA’s ofcial Biotech for Chemistry
focal topic supplement.
Dr Marlene Etschmann, ACHEMA communications,
labelled us the ‘perfect match’ to produce it.
“Always on the forefront of technology and covering a
broad range of topics, the magazine is just like our trade
show,” she said.
And the feeling is mutual. The organisers have been great
to work with - it is easy to see why they are behind one of the
biggest and most impactful trade shows on the planet.
The triennial exhibition for the process industries will provide
a great platform for the best of the global biotechnology
industry this week – something Innovators Magazine is
passionate about.
Enjoy your time in Frankfurt.
Iain
Robertson
Editor
etroleum is a limited resource and
if we keep using it global warming
will accelerate. Since this realization
has fltered in the quest for alternatives has
begun. Shale gas and natural gas are only
pseudo solutions as those supplies are fnite
and fossil, too. The only way out are fossil-free
resources, bio-based ones that is. Industry and
academia are developing bio-based processes
fervently and with the prerequisite that the
products must not be more expensive than
conventional ones. However, in late 2014 the
price for crude oil dropped below $70 per
barrel and has not recovered as of early 2018.
The prices for the chemical building blocks
ethylene and propylene have roughly halved
from 2014 to 2016. The dismal prospects have
made big players such as Braskem and Dow
Chemical shelve their bio-based propylene
development. Thyssen Krupp Industrial
Solutions sent its multipurpose plant for
organic acid fermentation in Leuna, Germany
into hibernation in 2015 until better times,
selling it subsequently to EW Biotech.
All around the world times are hard for bio-
based chemicals as they can rarely compete
with their fossil counterparts pricewise and
cannot even play a trump card in the matter of
climate change. Of the total energy demand
worldwide the chemical industry uses 30%
and it is responsible for 20% of the industrial
greenhouse gas emissions. In comparison, the
amount of ‘C’ that ends up as part of products is
marginal. Consequently energy consumption
is the main area to target if CO2 emissions shall
be signifcantly reduced. Nonetheless, support
for bio-based products is frmly anchored in
the policies of many governments and the
targets they have set are ambitious.
Bio-based policies in Europe
and the US
There is consensus in Europe and the US
that guidelines on how to switch over to a
bio-based economy need to be stipulated;
the approaches to implement the change
are quite diferent regarding the strategies
of the diferent governments and the
legislative conditions.
The European Union has agreed upon
a 40% greenhouse gas reduction by 2030
(compared to 1990 levels)
at least a 27% share of renewable energy
consumption
at least 27% energy savings.
More explicitly 20% of the chemicals and
materials in the European Union will be bio-
based by 2020, rising to a quarter in 2030.
In the United States the Biomass R&D board
envisions a billion ton bioeconomy. By 2030
one billion tons of biomass is projected to be
sustainably produced. It is supposed to be the
base for emerging bioproducts industries, but
mainly to target “a potential 30% penetration
of biomass carbon into US transportation
market by 2030”. Plainly spoken this means
biofuel in the forms of biodiesel or the
addition of ethanol to gasoline.
Looking for the bio-based ‘holy grail’ – will the result in
Europe be the same as in the US?
What’s the
new normal?
ACHEMA TREND REPORT
Which is the most promising bio-
based chemical?
When new processes and products enter the
market it’s human nature to ask who does
best in the competition. For the uninvolved
observer it may be simple curiosity, for
investors it’s a matter of money – and lots of
it - to decide whether to jump on the bio-
based bandwagon and which car to take.
In 2004 the US National Renewable
Energy Laboratory (NREL) defned 12 top
value added chemicals from biomass. These
products seemed to be the most promising
at that time but a lot has happened in
the last decade. In the follow-up report of
2016 there is again a list of 12 promising
chemicals. The overlap between the two lists
is moderate and consists of glycerol, succinic
acid and para-xylene.
The European Union, too, strives to
identify the chemicals that are predestined
to be made from biomass. RoadToBio is an
EU-funded project set up in mid-2017 to
deliver a roadmap by 2019 illustrating the
‘sweet spots’ for Europe’s chemical industry.
In a frst step, a long list with 120 chemicals
at technology readiness level (TRL) of 6 or
higher was compiled that show potential for
the chemicals market. In parallel, the value
chains of 500 petrochemicals were analyzed
from a purely technical point of view. 85%
of the value chains ofer entry points where
a petrochemical could be replaced by a
bio-based one. The chemicals that were
cited most often as replaceable are ethylene,
propylene and methanol.
RoadToBio analyzes the interface
between bio-based and petro-
chemical
The NREL report and RoadToBio project
have in common that they both examine
products with a TRL 6 or higher meaning
that the production process has reached
pilot scale. Furthermore the studies so
far both work along the value chain of
petrochemical products. A typical product
tree starts from a low value feedstock like
ethylene and branches into many higher
value intermediates like polyethylene,
ethylene oxide and vinyl acetate. The
intermediates again have multiple uses;
vinyl acetate can end up in an adhesive as
well as in paint.
Whenever a chemical can in theory be
replaced by a bio-based one this is called
an entry point in RoadToBio. Overall, of
the 120 chemicals identifed in the long
list for further analysis, only 49 have entry
points into existing petrochemical value
chains, while the other 71 are dedicated
chemicals. Dedicated chemicals are those
which have no fossil-based counterpart and
thus ofer unique production routes. Lactic
acid as base for the bioplastic polylactic
acid is a prominent example for a dedicated
chemical. In contrast, drop-in chemicals are
bio-based versions of existing chemicals.
A third group, smart drop-in chemicals,
are also chemically identical to their fossil
counterparts but provide an additional
advantage compared to ordinary drop-ins.
This can be a faster and simpler production
pathway or less energy use.
In the NREL analysis some products such
as ethylene and methanol were consciously
excluded as they would compete with
chemicals derived from natural gas, which
is not realistic. It remains to be seen if
RoadToBio researchers take a similar route
in the next step, in which they will analyze
drop-ins and dedicated chemicals for their
market potential.
Four chemicals that appear on both
the top 12 NREL list and among the 49
RoadToBio chemicals with potential entry
points are succinic acid, para-xylene,
1,2-propanediol and glycerol.
And the winner is…cooperation
If predicting the success of a bio-based
product were easy governments worldwide
would not employ legions of scientists
and commission studies to do so. Only
time will tell which of the cited bio-based
chemicals will become a blockbuster
and whether RoadToBio will come to
the same conclusions as the NREL study.
The petroleum price and governmental
interventions are only two of the more
unpredictable factors in the multi-
parameter matrix which determines the
economic success of a bio-based product.
One of the commonalities of the four
chemicals discussed above is that they are
drop-in chemicals. They are chemically
identical to their fossil counterparts and
for further processing it doesn’t play a role
whether they are made from petroleum or
from biomass.
On closer inspection the production
processes of promising drop-in chemicals
are an eclectic mix of chemical and
biotechnological. Fermentation steps are
followed by chemical transformations;
whether a metal catalyst or an enzyme is
used is just a matter of what works best.
Anything goes as long it is technically
feasible. A process is no longer either
chemical or biotechnological, cooperation
is the new normal. Winners in the quest for
the holy grail of bio-based chemicals are
defnitely the scientists from all the diferent
disciplines involved. They have learned to
look past the boundaries of their own sector
and gained a whole new perspective.
ACHEMA 2018 focal topic “Biotech for
Chemistry” puts the spotlight on the fact
that biotechnology and chemistry are
growing together. The congress program
features presentations about novel
processes and products while the exhibition
shows equipment of every scale for both
biotechnological and chemical techniques.
ACHEMA TREND REPORT
Focal topic presentations
Room: CMF - Harmonie 3
Tuesday
12.06.2018,
15:00 – 17:30
Biotech for chemistry -
Developing processes
Tuesday
12.06.2018,
10:30 – 13:00
Biotech for chemistry -
Organisms
Your guide to when and
where it’s all happening
A High-Throughput Single Cell
Screening for Expression and
Secretion of
Recombinant Proteins in E. coli
J. Eichmann, University of
Applied Sciences Mittelhessen
(THM), Giessen, Germany
Enhanced production of
rhamnolipid biosurfactant
by Pseudomonas aeruginosa
microorganism in fed batch
cultivation
B. Mokhtarani, Chemistry and
Chemical Engineering Research
Cente of Iran, Teheran, Iran
Use of a Aspergillus terreus
fructosyltransferase expressed
within Kluyveromyces lactis
for the production of
short-chain
fructooligosaccharides
J. Burghardt, University of
Applied Sciences Mittelhessen,
Giessen, Germany
Lipase catalyzed solvent
free esterifcation
Y. Satyawali,
Vito NV, Belgium
Production of the microbial
glycolipid mannosyleryth-
ritol lipid from renewable
resources
A. Beck, University of Stuttgart
c/o Fraunhofer IGB, Germany
Photobiocatalytic whole-cell
biotransformations
R. Kourist, Technical University
Graz, Austria
Evaluation of Streptomyces
sanyensis and Micromono-
spora chalcea as biological
control agents against
Collaria scenica
J. Parra Melo, Universidad
Nacional de Colombia,
Bogota, Columbia
Process optimization for the
production of cellobiose
lipids from lignocellulose
hydrolysates
A. Oraby, University of
Stuttgart, Germany
11:00
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11:30
15:00
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Wednesday
13.06.2018,
10:30 – 13:00
Biotech for chemistry -
Developing processes II
Wednesday
13.06.2018,
15:00 – 17:30
Biotech for chemistry
- Methane, metals and
metabolites
Design of experiment (DoE)
supported upstream
optimization and column-free
downstream strategy enables
automation of recombinant
production process for an
antimicrobial peptide in
Escherichia coli
M. Joachim, University of
Applied Sciences Mittelhessen,
Giessen, Germany
Process development and
process intensifcation for the
production of polyketides
and non-ribosomal peptides
via multifunctional
mega-synthases
A. Oestreich, University of
Applied Sciences Mittelhessen,
Giessen, Germany
Process development for
cultivation of planctomycetes
as new bioresource
O. Kruppa, University of
Applied Sciences Mittelhessen,
Giessen, Germany
(-)-Menthol-based DES as
substrate and solvent for the
lipase-catalysed
esterifcation of (-)-menthol
M. Hümmer, DECHE-
MA-Forschungsinstitut, Frank-
furt am Main, Germany
Biological Metal Recovery
from Ores and Wastes
W. Keller, EKATO Rühr- und
Mischtechnik GmbH,
Schopfheim, Germany
Bioprocess Platform Design
for Kefran Production: From
Tibet to Tablet
H. Elenshasy, Universiti
Teknologi Malaysia
Extraction of Bioactive
Solutes with Non-Ionic Deep
Eutectic Solvents
Y. Marcus, Hebrew University of
Jerusalem, Israel
Infuence of diferent process
parameters on microbial
synthesis of Cellobiose- and
Mannosylerythritollipids
with Ustilago maydis
F. Haitz, Fraunhofer Institute for
Interfacial Engineering and Bio-
technology, Stuttgart, Germany
Nursery supplementation
with Narigenin-Chalcone
afects long term wood for-
mation, gene expression and
metabolite composition of
full grown Eucalyptus trees
J. Lepikson-Neto, Instituto Senai
de Inovação em Biomassa, Três
Lagoas, Brasil
Xylonic acid from hemicellu-
lose hydrolysates
T. Hahn, Fraunhofer IGB,
Stuttgart, Germany
Development and simulation
of bioreactors for the
conversion of methane into
value added products
M. Stier, Universität Stuttgart,
IGVP / Fraunhofer IGB,
Stuttgart, Germany
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8
Company
VOGELBUSCH Biocommodities GmbH
Location
Hall 9.2 D9
ith longstanding experience
in industrial biotechnology,
we bridge the gap between
biology, chemistry and engineering
science. Share our unique expertise
in the implementation of microbial
production techniques and
downstream processes.
www.vogelbusch-biocommodities.com
Company
SUGIMAT
Location
Hall 5.1 D73
ith 40 years of experience,
Sugimat is a specialist in the
design, manufacture, and
commissioning of energy saving and
generation solutions with thermal-oil
boilers using fossil fuels, biomass,
and waste.
www.sugimat.com
Vitamin B2: better
the biotech way
10
f yes, some milligrams of vitamin B2 or
ribofavin were fzzing in it to make your
skin soft and your hair shiny. Furthermore,
the vitamin makes for the sunny yellow of
the healthy water.
The ribofavin example illustrates
how industrial biotechnology changes
production processes in the chemical
industry. For the sake of the environment,
but for the sake of the manufacturers as well
- ‘green’ processes only have a chance if they
are economically competitive.
Isolated for the frst time in the 1920s,
the vitamin was produced by an eight-step
chemical synthesis well into the 1980s. The
rising environmental consciousness of the
1970s led to attempts in reducing waste,
avoiding toxic substances and cleaning
wastewater. A really clean production of
ribofavin was only possibly with the microbial
production process with the flamentous
fungus. The process is so efcient that part
of the product starts crystallizing in the
bioreactor in high purity. Thus, the ecobalance
is non-ambiguous: The microbiological
process beats the chemical one in every
criterion, starting with 30% savings in CO2
emissions up to 95% for the amount of waste
generated. Consequently, the market leader,
BASF, discontinued chemical production in
1996 and has been focusing on biotechnology
ever since. Competitor, DSM, uses a microbial
process too, albeit based on the bacterium
Bacillus subtilis.
Silent heroes of biotechnology
Vitamin production on an industrial scale
means that bioreactors can reach a size of
100 m³ but who is building these giants?
The silent heroes of biotechnology can be
found at ACHEMA, the trade show that puts
the technology into bio-technology.
Even bioprocesses that end up in the
multi-cubic-meter magnitude start small
on laboratory scale, usually as a shake
fask culture.
The next step is a bench-top fermenter that
can range from 100 milliliters to 5 liters.
These and the whole lab infrastructure can
be found in the laboratory and analytical
techniques exhibition group in hall 4.
Upscaling a process to pilot and then
production size is the task of the companies
in the engineering exhibition group in hall
9. Their service starts long before stainless
steel sheets are bent into cylindrical vessels.
Is it more economic to use wheat starch as a
substrate for the process or glucose syrup?
In the pre-engineering, raw materials and
capacities are compared, which are the
basis for the decision-making of investors.
These numbers are also important for
regulatory approval. The detailed planning
gets down to the nitty-gritty. No tube may
be overlooked, no welding seam neglected.
Also, precise process control is a must for
biotechnological processes and can be
found in the instrumentation, control and
automation techniques group in Hall 11. If
temperature and pH value are only slightly
of the optimum, Ashbya, Bacillus and
colleagues quickly fail to perform.
As soon as the microorganisms have
accomplished their mission, it’s on to
Did you plunge an effervescent
multivitamin in a glass of water this morning?
Ashbya gossypii © BASF
microbial cultures © DECHEMA
bench-top fermenter © DECHEMA
fermenter © Sanofi Pasteur
process control © DECHEMA