Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IMEOur Research
The department of "Model-based Product and Bioprocess Engineering" department specializes in resource-efficient, sustainable, and economically attractive production of proteins and secondary metabolites based on plant cell cultures, which are used in the food, feed, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical industries.
Our service portfolio includes the systematic and customized design of products and biosynthetic pathways, the development of corresponding plant cell lines, and the optimization and scaling of cultivation processes through to the extraction and chromatographic purification of target products. In addition, we address questions related to process automation, modeling, and digitalization. In particular, we combine methods of statistical experimental design with model-based approaches as well as automated screening and testing systems to systematically optimize product properties and process conditions and to control them adaptively using artificial intelligence (AI).
Our proprietary Plant Cell Pack (PCP) technology enables the high-throughput production of hundreds of complex, functional product variants or the testing of various biosynthetic pathways for these products. The PCP platform accelerates bioprocess development and reduces development time and costs for new product candidates. In close collaboration with the "Functional and Applied Genomics" and "Precision Fermentation" departments, powerful plant cell lines are generated and customized fermentation processes are developed to enable the production of complex proteins on a larger scale, tailored to specific requirements and applications.