Volume 6 Summer 2008

BREMEN JOURNAL

OF UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH

IN BIOTECHNOLOGY

Editors: Prof. Dr. T. Achstetter / Prof. Dr. G. Klöck

Dear Reader!

Volume 6 of the Bremen Journal of Undergraduate Research in Biotechnology

(BJURB) concludes on a successful summer term 2008. Where the first year’s

students were introduced to the basic of modern biology the second year’s students

prepared for their year abroad. It will take them again to countries like Australia, New

Zealand, Canada and the United States, but also to England, France and Sweden to

name some the destinations. In quite a few cases partner universities have been

chosen.

At the same time the ISTAB Master program took off. Seven students opted for the

ISTAB MSc program for a continuation of their studies. For those who choose the

“Biotechnology” branch the study program was divided between the Universities of

Applied Sciences in Bremen and in nearby Bremerhaven thanks to the BioHanse

Association which makes a cooperation between the Universities and Universities of

Applied Sciences in the Land Bremen possible. The master students thankfully took

advantage of this “diversification” of the study program. Furthermore in April external

experts reviewed the ISTAB MSc curriculum in order to get the ISTAB concept

approved by the National Accreditation board.

The Biotech AG continued its monthly presentations. This rather recent addition to

the list of extracurricular activities of ISTAB sees regularly quite a number of

interested people.

In a formal ceremony a cooperation agreement was signed between the

Gymnasium Kurt-Schumacher-Allee Bremen and the Biotechnology Branch of

ISTAB. During their final classes in biology young students will work on projects

which will be discussed with the ISTAB Biotechnology teaching staff and students.

Lab courses are envisaged where those young students might carry out some

experimental work under the supervision of members of the ISTAB staff.

The second year’s students of ISTAB organized an overnight trip to meet our

partner, the School of Life Science of the Hanze University in Groningen, The

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Netherlands. They got introduced to extremely well organized lab methods (PCR,

DGGE) which allow tracing of genetic mutations in humans. Introductory lectures in

immunology and bioinformatics allowed the students to get a first impression of the

respective research fields. This meeting is again proof of the strong common interest

in a transnational collaboration between the two institutions and their members, the

Hanze University and the University of Applied Sciences Bremen. In addition,

lectures were planned between the two institutions which should alternate between

both places. Dr. Achstetter initiated the series in June where he introduced second

and third year’s students of the Hanze University to the basics of baker’s yeast, a

model organism in modern biology.

This year’s TiGer BioTec project delt with bread no longer to be sold as it had

passed its peremption date. The ISTAB final semester’s students, that is the R&D

department of TiGer studied ways in which such bread could be turned into

something useful. The students themselves will present their work in this volume of

BJURB.

In March the University of Applied Sciences Bremen gave itself a new internal

structure. Former departments have been replaced by a total of five faculties. ISTAB

now makes part of Faculty 5: Nature and Technology.

We wish all our friends, partners and students a happy holiday season!

Dr. Tilman Achstetter Dr. Gerd. Klöck

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Pressemitteilung der Hochschule Bremen

Biotechnologen der Hochschule Bremen schließen

Kooperationsvertrag mit Gymnasium Kurt-Schumacher-

Allee

Auftaktveranstaltung am 2. Juli 2008, 15:30 Uhr

Der Internationale Studiengang Technische und Angewandte Biologie an der

Hochschule Bremen und das Gymnasium Kurt-Schumacher-Allee schließen am 2.

Juli einen Kooperationsvertrag.

Vereinbart wird ein regelmäßiger Austausch von Informationen über Ausbildung,

Lehre, Forschung und Berufsbilder auf dem Gebiet der Biotechnologie. Ferner soll

die Zusammenarbeit bei der Verbesserung des Verständnisses von Schülern für die

Zusammenhänge eines technisch-naturwissenschaftlichen Studiums und die

Entwicklung und Durchführung von gemeinsamen Projekten gefördert werden.

Schließlich geht es um die Unterstützung der Schule bei fachrichtungsrelevanten

Kontakten, insbesondere durch Bereitstellung von oder bei der Suche nach

Praktikumsplätzen in der Fachrichtung Biotechnologie/Biologie/Chemie. Die

Kooperation beginnt mit einem gemeinsamen Projekt im Herbst diesen Jahres zum

Thema: „Mikroalgen als nachhaltige Quelle für Biomasse“.

[Text U. Berlin, Hochschule Bremen, siehe auch die Ankündigung im Weserkurier

vom 27. Juni und den Bericht ausführlichen Bericht vom 7. Juli 2008]

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The BIOTECH-AG

The Biotech-AG, a forum at the Hochschule Bremen for those who have an interest

in biotechnology, took off in fall 2007. During the teaching period there are monthly

meetings where people from industry, from higher education institutions or alumni

present on topics addressing e.g. recent developments, professional profiles and

opportunities, advanced study programs but also possibilities for projects. In April Dr.

J. Detmers (CEO Molzym GmbH & Co. KG, Bremen) discussed job opportunities and

competences needed in the biotech industry. In May the Biotech AG took part in a

meeting organized by the BioHanse, Bremen. This meeting served to inform students

of master programs in Bremen and Bremerhaven in the field Life Science. In June Dr.

Baumann, professor for biotechnology of the University of Applied Sciences Aachen

held a seminar on the diversity of micro algae. He is an expert in the field of these

single celled marine organisms.

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Two-Day trip to our partner university in Groningen,

Netherlands

In January this year students from the Hanze University Groningen visited us in the

University of Applied Sciences in Bremen. Students from the Netherlands and our

students hosted a symposium together. So now it was our time to visit them in

Groningen. The trip was exclusively organized by the students and the Dutch

students had to organize the evening program on their own.

From the 8th -9th May we spent two days in the Netherlands and had a good look

around.

The Dutch students prepared a very nice program. When we arrived in the morning

we were welcomed very warmly with coffee and cake. The director Dr. Doornbusch

gave a short speech and gave us some information about Groningen and about the

Hanze University. After that the students guided us around the University building,

which was built only six years ago and was very nice. It was especially interesting for

us to see in what ways our University [of Applied Sciences] in Bremen and the Hanze

University differ. The campus of the Hanze University is very friendly and open and

the students have lots of rooms to discuss, to learn in groups and to hang around

together. It seems to us that the Dutch attach a lot of importance (and hence spend

more money) in their academic landscape.

Further on we had a short lecture with Peter Dammers about Genetics and inherited

diseases.

After a nice lunch break we did some very interesting lab work about breast cancer.

We had a pattern of a gel electrophoresis from a woman with cancer from the

Hospital in Groningen and we also had samples from her daughters. With this

information we tried to find out if her daughters also had cancer. This is a common

method in medical laboratories.

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In the laboratory we formed groups of two students each. Every group was supported

by one Dutch student. It was all supervised by a laboratory worker.

Unfortunately, it was not possible for Mr. Achstetter and Mr. Kloeck to join most of the

lectures and the laboratories work because they had to set the future direction of the

partnership between the Hochschule Bremen and the Hanze University with the local

staff.

In the evening we had a small tour through the picturesque town of Groningen. Then

we were all at a restaurant and had a nice chat and meal. In addition we went to the

legendary “die drie schwestern” and the students showed us how they deal with their

evenings.

Despite a long night we had an early breakfast the next morning at the University and

then were given a lecture about Bioinformatics where we tried ourselves as

programmers.

In addition to that, we evaluated the results from the lab work.

All in all we had a wonderful time, appreciated the hospitality and found some new

Dutch friends and learned a lot about how life is in Groningen.

We hope that the partnership between faculties continues during time and that we

can welcome the Dutch students in Bremen again one day!

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Fotos 3, 8, 9, 10, 12, 14, 15,

16 Sophia Buck

Fotos: 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 11, 13,

17 Larissa Ruhe

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Production of Bioethanol from Waste

Bread – A Feasibility Study

Franziska Bleeke, Sandra Schulz, Simone Schwarz, Stanislav Ott, Tanja Kramer

TiGer BioTec

TiGer BioTec is a virtual company, which was established by the professors T.

Achstetter and G. Klöck of the University of Applied Sciences Bremen. This is a

possibility to offer the student of the final semester of the international study course

Technical and Applied Biology an education with a high amount of professional

experience. The students receive a concrete development order and form the

department of research and development, and quality assurance. During a period of

three month the students do a feasibility study, where they will learn the important

steps which are necessary develop a product of an idea. This period is divided into

two phases. Phase 1 is the phase of planning. The students do literature and patent

recherché, get a general idea about the market and create time tables and cost

schedules. Phase 2, experimental phase, contains the validation of the used

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methods, performs of experiments and quality assurance. The results of the project

will be used to write the bachelor thesis.

Background

Based on the fact, that renewable energy sources are necessary and that 560,000 -

700,000 t of waste bread was obtained each year in Germany, the students of the

final semester 2007/08 received the order the do a feasibility study about the

production of bioethanol from waste bread. During the production of bioethanol,

starch-containing biomass is enzymatically cut into glucose. Afterwards the glycolized

starch can serve as a substrate for microorganisms, which ferment the glucose to

ethanol. Through distillation, the produced raw alcohol is concentrated and

afterwards used as fuel or fuel mixture.

The aim of the project was the development of an economic process for the

production of bioethanol from old bread that cannot be recycled in the food and

animal feed industry and to use preferably all components and different types of

bread. The micro organisms of interest were Saccharomyces cerevisiae and

Zymomonas mobilis. To handle this project the student were divided into five

subprojects: Quality assurance, screening for hydrolase secretors, preparation of

glucose-containing bread slurry, fermentation process Saccharomyces, fermentation

process Zymomonas).

Quality Assurance

Major task for the division “Quality assurance” was to ensure that the feasibility study

is performed under quality assured conditions according to principles of the quality

management system GLP (good laboratory practice). As a result of the GLP conform

mode of operation, the traceability and reproducibility of all results of the project

should be guaranteed.

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The division “Quality assurance” was able to continue and integrate the existing

quality management system in this years project, so that the principles of good

laboratory practice could be implemented project-orientated and to a large extent.

Indeed not all ten principles could be implemented because of the low number of

staff members and the short duration of the project. But the quality of the results of in

the feasibility study could be improved enormously due to the implementation of the

quality management system. At this it was shown that the elements of quality

management documentation were indispensable for a quality assured realisation of

the feasibility study.

Screening for Hydrolase-producing Micro organisms

The subproject deals with the microbial production of enzymes. Its main task was the

screening for micro organisms which produce hydrolase. These enzymes were

meant to be able to convert the starch of the bread into glucose.

The micro organisms suitable for the production of enzymes were detected by

screening. However the screened micro organisms had less enzyme activity

compared to the reference organism Bacillus subtilis. Furthermore a method to obtain

the produced enzymes was designed and another method to measure enzyme

activity was optimised.

Preparation of Glucose-containing Bread Slurry

In this part the main task dealt with improvement and inspection of the process

parameters during the production of glucose solution from waste bread.

During the project several hydrolysis conditions were carried out, compared and the

suitable one determined. Furthermore two different enzymatic agents were examined

and the glucose concentration and dry matter contend in the solution during the

incubation were measured. In the conclusion the overall yield statistics were

performed and different aspects of the project and further suggestions discussed.

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Fermentation Process Saccharomyces

The subproject “Fermentation Process Saccharomyces” had the focus on the optimal

growth factors of S. cerevisiae and its possibility to ferment the glucose-containing

bread slurry into bioethanol.

During the preliminary tests a growth curve was constructed and the optimal growth

factors were found out. Furthermore it was found out that bread slurry is sufficient as

a fermentation substrate for S. cerevisiae. Two fermentations were conducted. The

first fermentation was carried out with two bread solutions which were produced by

two different ways. The second fermentation analysed the influence of different

temperatures on the fermentation. Within 12 hrs an ethanol concentration of 28 g/L

was reached with an ethanol yields of up to 1,73 (M/M). Moreover the method to

measure the glucose concentration could be validated.

Fermentation Process Zymomonas

Like the subproject “Fermentation Process Saccharomyces” the subproject

“Fermentation Processes Zymomonas” dealt the optimization of the growth factors

and the fermentation of the glucose-containing bread slurry by the use of the

bacterium Zymomonas mobilis DSMZ strain 424.

The growth conditions were tested and optimized in preliminary experiments and

enzymatic assays for the analysis of the fermentation processes were validated. The

glucose-containing bread slurry was found to be a sufficient substrate for the

fermentation. Also two fermentations were conducted with the same condition as

described before (Fermentation Process Saccharomyces). Ethanol concentration of

27 g/L within 9 hrs with an ethanol yields of up to 1,96 (M/M) could be reached by

using Zymomonas. An ethanol concentration of 3,5 % (v/v) after nine hours of

fermentation was achieved.

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Result: The students developed a process which contained following steps: The

bread was ground, homogenized with water and heated, so that an enzymatic

degradation of the starch in the bread by the addition of a supernatant of a bacterial

culture was possible. The obtained glucose-containing bread solution was then

fermented by the organism types Saccharomyces and Zymomonas.

Summarized, this feasibility study showed that the production of bioethanol is

possible but the cost- and energy balance is clearly negative and therefore not

economically efficient, because the maximum ethanol concentration which was

reached was 3.5 %. The distillation costs take one of the highest parts and the whole

process is not economically efficient under an ethanol concentration of 10 %.

Taken from:

Bleeke, Franziska (2008): Bachelor Thesis, University of Applied Sciences, Bremen.

Kramer, Tanja (2008): Bachelor Thesis, University of Applied Sciences, Bremen.

Ott, Stanislav (2008): Bachelor Thesis, University of Applied Sciences, Bremen.

Schulz, Sandra (2008): Bachelor Thesis, University of Applied Sciences, Bremen.

Schwarz, Simone (2008): Bachelor Thesis, University of Applied Sciences, Bremen.

Impressum: Bremen Journal of Undergraduate Research in Biotechnology Editors: Dr. Tilman Achstetter (tilman.achstetter@hs-bremen.de)

Dr. Gerd Klöck (gerd.kloeck@hs-bremen.de) (kloeck.blogspot.com) International Degree Course of Industrial and Environmental Biology ISTAB (B.Sc., M.Sc.) Bremer Institut für die Praxis der Naturwissenschaften (tigerbiotec.blogspot.com) University of Applied Sciences Bremen Neustadtswall 30, D-28199 Bremen, Germany