Presented at the workshop "Moving Africa Towards a Knowledge based Bio-economy: How can Sweden assist?" organised by the SIANI Bio-economy Expert Group. More at: http://www.siani.se/news/siani-bioeconomy-expert-group-business

1. Industrial biotechnology, past,
present and future Swedish-
African Partnerships.
Bo Mattiasson
Lund University and Indienz AB

2. Sida-supported activities
• BioEARN
• BioInnovate
• Bilateral programs

3. BioEARN and to some extent also in
BioInnovate
• Enzyme and microbial technology
• Environmental biotechnology

4. Projects
• Upgrading fish waste – production of PUFA
• Biogas from industrial waste
• Enzymes for the leather industry
• Wastewater treatment e.g. from leather
industry

5. Biogas from surplus biomass

7. Anaerobic degradation of organic material
ORGANIC MATERIAL
SOLUBLE MONOMERS
EXTRACELLULAR
HYDROLYSIS
VOLATILE FATTY
ACIDS
ACETATE HYDROGEN
CARBON DIOXIDE
ACIDOGENESIS
ACETOGENESIS
METHANOGENESIS
METHANE
CARBON DIOXIDE
Enzymatic degradation
Microbial degradation
BIOGAS
METHANOGENESIS

9. How far can one drive on the
bioenergy produced from 1 hectar
(10.000 m2)?

10. Project with Tanzania
• Bioenergy carriers from biomass
• Ethanol from wild cassava
• Biogas from residues from starch production

11. Biomass can be used for many
purposes

14. Platform chemcials
• For industry to build on.
• Relatively simple molecules that are converted
afterwards

15. Sources of biomass
• Waste from traditional farming
• Waste from industrial processing
• Municipal solid waste
• GMO crops specially designed for industrial biotech.
• Algae
• etc

16. 12
3
Mono-, di-, or tri- glycerate
Glycerol carbonate
Glyceric acid
3-Hydroxypropionic acid
1,3-Propanediol
Propionic acid
3-Hydroxypropionaldehyde
Propanol
Glycerol
Glycidol
DihydroxyacetoneDiglyceraldehyde
Branched polyesters and nylons
1,2-Propanediol

17. Malonic acid
Acrylic acid
Ethyl-3HP
Methylacrylate
Acrylamide
2
Acrylonitrile
3-Hydroxypropionic acid
Propiolactone
Poly-3HP
1,3-Propanediol

18. Enzymes and micororganisms as industrial
catalysts
• Organisms isolated from
extreme environments are a
good source of enzymes
adapted to harsh conditions
• Enzyme properties can be
improved using gene
technology

20. A novel alkaline protease from a novel alkaliphilic
microorganism isolated from an alkaline soda lake
Nesterenkonia aethiopica Protease crystals

21. New biology to obtain suitable Biocatalysts
RESEARCH APPROACH
Extremophilic
organisms,
Genes
isolation
cultivation
Extreme
habitats
Cloning,
expression &
Production
Rational design,
Directed evolution
genes
GREENCHEM

22. Industrial enzymes
• For food industry
• For leather industry
• For chemical industry
• For cosmetics
• For conversion of biomass
• etc.

23. Environmental biotechnology
• Remediation
• Degradation of toxic chemicals
• Bioenergy (mainly biogas)

24. The largest biotech process

25. The largest biotech process
• Treatment of water
– Wastewater
– Water for consumption

26. Heavy metals constitute a serious
environmental problem today!
• Polluting water and soil
• HM are taken up by the crops
• Influences ecosystems negatively

27. Bioreactors for removal of heavy
metal ions
• Sulfate reducing
bacteria grown in
bioreactor
• Porous glass used as
carrier material

29. worldwide public
health problem
Microcystins
2
9

30. Collaboration with the private
sector?!

33. STRATEGY FOR BUILDING
STRONG BIOTECHNOLOGY
RESEARCH.

34. Microbial
fermentation
Enzyme
technology
Enzyme &
microbial
technology
Cloning & molecular
biology
Downstream
processing of
biomolecules
Anaerobic
fermentation
Process
technology
The seven pillars for building competence in
Industrial biotechnology.

35. Microbial
fermentation
Enzyme
technology
Enzyme &
microbial
technology
Cloning & molecular
biology
Downstream
processing of
biomolecules
Anaerobic
fermentationProcess
technology
Need for adding application oriented work

36. Microbial
fermentation
Enzyme
technology
Enzyme &
microbial
technology
Cloning & molecular
biology
Downstream
processing of
biomolecules
Anaerobic
fermentationProcess
technology
Need for adding APPLIED RESERCH

37. Enzyme
technology
Applied projects for e.g. Master students

38. Enzyme
technology
Applied projects for e.g. Master students
Industrial partner

39. Enzyme
technology
Applied projects for e.g. Master students
Industrial partner
Fermentation
technology

40. Microbial
fermentation
Enzyme
technology
Enzyme &
microbial
technology
Cloning & molecular
biology
Downstream
processing of
biomolecules
Anaerobic
fermentationProcess
technology
Add INDUSTRIAL
COLLABORATION

41. Course in entrepreneurship in
biotechnology
• Make a market survey
• Write a business plan
• To arrange financial support
• IPR
• To meet others who have made the journey and
succeeded or failed.

42. Why this course?
• Important to discuss project areas that are
familiar to the students.
• Important to have concrete objects to work
with
• It gives the students the toolbox for starting

43. In Lund this has resulted in
• Bioprocess Control AB
• Capsenze HB
• Enviro AB
• Protista Int. AB
• Indienz AB
• Cyclicor AB
• Enza AB
• m.fl.

44. Indienz AB
works with a pilot scale biorefinery
• One of the founders now tries to start a
daughter company in India
• One founder from Ethiopia is investigating the
possibilities to establish activities in Ethiopia.

45. Bioprocess Control AB
monitoring and control of
anaerobic digestion
• On founder from China is CEO and has started
a daughter company there.

46. Points to focus on …
• Postdoctoral training
• Industrial contacts
• PhD-programme and postdoc programmes to
be introduced gradually

47. When starting …
• Collaborate with established companies
• Start with less demanding projects
• Consulting, trouble shooting etc

48. Thank you for listening!

49. Bo Mattiasson
• www.biotek.lu.se
• bo.mattiasson@biotek.lu.se
• +46 70-6059830