Reference projects IME | Aachen

Forests in Germany and around the world are endangered and, to date, reforestation measures have not been sufficient to compensate for the damage caused. The OrbiRoboTree project is therefore investigating new methods for the indoor cultivation of tree seedlings in order to prepare them as well as possible for later planting in the field. AI-supported robotics enables flexible handling of the plants, automatic loading of the system, and efficient scaling of production.

Biotechnology is an integral part of the Fraunhofer Society's strategic research field of bioeconomy: The production of novel substances using living organisms aims to cure the sick, replace increasingly scarce raw materials, and make our lives easier and more comfortable. Over the past 30 years, digitalization has increased profitability and quality and reduced time to market in the chemical industry. This potential is currently only partially recognized or utilized in most bioprocesses and related companies.

The goal of the DiBi project is to develop a miniaturized, high-throughput cultivation system for plant cells using industrial laboratory automation systems. This system will replicate the production conditions of bioreactors and enable the parallel testing of conditions within one week. The project aims to further develop the simple, unstructured white-box model developed in preliminary work into an unstructured grey-box model for plant metabolism. Software modules with an interactive graphical interface for multi-criteria process optimization using iterative model building, experimental design, and model fitting will be developed and tested in a practical trial with a complex protein-producing cell line.

Most in vivo gene therapy applications utilize viral vectors to efficiently deliver the desired genes into target cells by mimicking the viral infection process. However, viral gene transfer suffers from safety concerns, such as insertional mutagenesis, and necessitates alternative, non-viral approaches for gene delivery into cells. The EU-funded ENDOSCAPE project proposes the use of molecules that facilitate escape from endosomes, the cell organelles responsible for capturing and degrading internalized molecules. The idea is to create a molecular scaffold that incorporates these enhancers, along with the desired gene and a targeted ligand, to address the challenge of cytosolic and nuclear delivery of gene therapies.

Current biosensors are limited in terms of cost, sensitivity, and the ability to perform multiple analyses. These limitations pose challenges for competitiveness and innovation. BioQuant aims to develop a novel, high-performance biosensor platform by combining DNA-stabilized metal quantum clusters with microfluidics, which will significantly increase the efficiency of analytical methods.

Currently, the chemical synthesis of complex fine chemicals, especially those with chiral centers, is challenging and time-consuming. There is a high demand within the chemical industry to develop cost-efficient and environmentally friendly production methods in order to compete in the global market and strengthen the competitiveness of German and European industry.

In the face of the energy transition, solar fuels represent a sustainable solution for an environmentally friendly energy supply – whether in transportation, private households, or industrial sectors with high CO2 emissions. Artificial photosynthesis is a promising approach to producing solar fuel; however, current systems are inefficient and unsuitable for industrial use due to their high costs. The EU project SUNGATE aims to overcome these limitations by combining the principles of artificial photosynthesis with photoelectrocatalysis, flow microreactor technology, and biotechnology. SUNGATE's overarching goal is to provide a technology that can ensure a cost-effective global energy supply and contribute to climate neutrality by 2050.

The overarching goal of the Research Training Group (RTG) entitled "Tumor-Targeted Drug Delivery" (acronym 2(TD)) is to address current challenges in the development of cancer drug delivery systems (DDS) and to explore therapeutic and theranosetic scenarios that lead to improved patient outcomes and offer a clear perspective for clinical translation. While the majority of drug delivery research consortia in Germany and Europe primarily focus on novel materials for nanomedicine, 2(TD) will concentrate on medical needs and clinical applications, aiming to systematically identify and overcome pitfalls in the translation of tumor-targeted drug delivery concepts. To this end, the 2(TD) consortium will generate knowledge and foster collaboration at the interfaces of the key areas of tumor biology, chemical engineering, and clinical medicine.

The International Center for Networked, Adaptive Production (ICNAP) originated from an initiative of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the Fraunhofer Society, with strong support from industry. It was launched in Aachen at the end of 2016 as the Fraunhofer Center of Excellence "Networked, Adaptive Production." The Center's mission is to design an open research platform and testing environment for industry, where new concepts for digitized production and their transfer to industry can be researched and tested in practical applications. ICNAP emerged from this initiative and consolidates the successful collaboration in industry projects. This allows other companies to benefit from the Center's work as partners within the community.