This researcher workshop began with a guest lecture by Prof. Nick Wierckx, who spoke about the upcycling of polymers by microorganisms. A central focus of his research is the biodegradation of nylon, a particularly challenging task due to the material’s high stability, and its subsequent upgrading to polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) by bioengineered microorganisms.
Afterwards, researchers from our catalaix project offered insightful insights into their effective work and demonstrated the wide thematic range within the catalaix project:
- Machine learning for property prediction and material modeling – Muhammad bin Javaid, Berke Kişin from Prof. Grohe’s research group
- Ex-ante life cycle analysis (LCA) for catalysis – Yifan Wang, Kai Leonhard from the working group of Prof. von der Aßen
- Upcycling polystyrene waste into high-performance energy storage systems – Joshua Lippert, Lukas Maurer from Prof. Wasserscheid’s research group
- Analysis of parameters, trends and networks in plastic systems – Catriona Eldridge, Nadja Vierzigmann from the working group of Prof. Walther
- Modelling of plastic waste streams – Gilbert Schu from Prof. Greiff’s research group
- Design, monitoring and optimization of processes and reactions – Moreno Ascani from Prof. Mitsos’s group
- Controlled crystallization of carboxylic acids and monomer production – Aishe Grotjohann, Till Königs from Prof. Jupke’s research group
These research workshops clearly demonstrate the interdisciplinary nature of the catalaix project, in which the four main research areas, System Evaluation, Process Development, Biological and Chemical Transformation, work hand in hand to promote a more sustainable and environmentally friendly future in the spirit of a circular plastics economy.
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