Lysine – crucial for your health
Did you know that lysine plays a crucial role in your health and well-being? Lysine is a component of collagen, the most abundant protein in the body, found in skin, bones, tendons, ligaments, and cartilage. Lysine can also be used to make plastic. Polylysine is chemically similar to nylon, which is used in tights, for […]
How do resources remain in the circular system?
We discussed this intensively at our Principal Investigator (PI) workshop. Our conclusion: A holistic approach is needed!From design, production, and use to end-of-life management and recycling, every phase counts. A huge thank you to all PIs for your expertise, your input, and your commitment to sustainable innovation. Together we are transforming the plastics industry into […]
Interdisciplinary exchange
To promote interdisciplinary exchange and strengthen communication between our doctoral students from different research areas, the heads of the subgroups Chemical and Biological Transformations (Rebecca Sebers, Philipp Demling), Digitalization and Up-Scaling (Moreno Ascani), and Systems Evaluation (Nil Güreli, Julia Schleier) are joining forces to improve research efficiency and synergies. These meetings provide our researchers with […]
Less than 10% of plastics are recycled
The linear use of most plastics now represents a growing challenge, as less than 10% is recycled and a significant proportion is disposed of uncontrolled, with serious impacts on the environment. The current perspective, in which our catalaix core team member Prof. Lars M. Blank is also involved together with Dr. Ren Wei, Dr. Gert […]
YoungFluidSeps Poster Prize
Aishe Katharina Grotjohann, doctoral student at the catalaix research center within the Werner Siemens Foundation at the Chair of Fluid Process Engineering at RWTH Aachen University, was awarded the YoungFluidSeps Poster Prize at the annual meeting of the DECHEMA Crystallization Group. She received the award for her poster on a process concept for the crystallization […]
Plastic waste as a resource: New approaches for a sustainable future!
Plastic waste poses a huge environmental challenge. But what if we could use it as a valuable resource? Our current publication shows how this is possible. An innovative two-step biocatalytic process makes it possible to convert polyethylene terephthalate (PET) – known from plastic bottles – into high-quality products. Research highlights: Our approach demonstrates how PET […]
Innovative concepts through interdisciplinary research!
51 researchers from a wide range of disciplines came together in Aachen: Doctoral students, postdocs, master’s students and technical staff. The first catalaix Researcher Workshop was about more than just science – we want to redefine the future of the circular economy! Our interdisciplinary team from Applied Microbiology, Technical and Macromolecular Chemistry, Inorganic Chemistry, Human […]
We are looking for you – apply now!
Your opportunity: Shape the future and build your own research group as an outstanding scientist! To strengthen our team, we are currently looking for committed and motivated catalaix-junior principal investigators (catalaix-JPIs) in the field of polymer design, polymer synthesis and characterization using renewable or circular raw materials as well as process engineering for chemical recycling […]
Kick-off catalaix 30th September 2024
The catalaix project at the WSS Research Centre has officially commenced its mission. At a festive event to launch the project, researchers demonstrated how they plan to break down plastics into their individual components — and lay the foundation for a multidimensional circular economy:With the help of catalysts that accelerate chemical reactions or make them […]
Turning Plastic Waste into Opportunity: Our Vision for a Circular Economy
Each year, hundreds of millions of tons of plastic waste are produced worldwide. Traditional recycling methods like sorting, shredding, and thermal processing often lead to lower-quality recycled materials, which limits the potential for a true circular economy. Chemical recycling offers a promising alternative, creating high-quality products from end-of-life plastics. At catalaix, an interdisciplinary team of […]