Category: News

Long Night of Science – b-ACT matter took part!

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On 20 June 2025, numerous Leipzig scientific institutions, associations and companies presented their research at the Long Night of Science in Leipzig.
b-ACTmatter was also there with the BioMat junior research group and the spin-off ESTER Biotech at the BIO CITY, giving interested peoples from Leipzig and the surrounding area exciting insights into their scientific research and development.

At the stand of the BioMat junior research group, visitors were shown how we can learn from ingenious designs, concepts and applications found in nature. Inspired by these and using biofilms, the research group led by Dr Rohan Karande is developing unique hybrid living materials (HLMs). Various microbes could be marvelled at under the microscope during the evening and children could go in search of their ‘personal’ microbe and find out which type suits them.

ESTER Biotech GmbH also presented its start-up to the guests, including Leipzig’s Mayor for Urban Development and Construction, Thomas Dienberg. Dr Christian Sonnendecker and Dr Ronny Frank explained how the scientists’ own biocatalyst recycling process works. They showed interested members of the public how enzymes can be used to break down all types of polyester (e.g. PET) in an environmentally friendly and effective way at a molecular level and how new plastic can be produced from the basic building blocks – known as monomers – obtained in this way. This new plastic has the original quality of the previously broken down PET, which is therefore 100% recycled.

BioMat und ESTER Biotech zur Langen Nacht der Wissenschaften in der BIO CITY. Fotos: b-ACT matter

How methane and CO₂ can help tackle plastic pollution

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Country Overshoot Day marks the date each year when a country would have exhausted its annual biocapacity budget — if everyone in the world lived like its population. In Germany, that date in 2025 falls as early as 5 May — more than three months earlier than in the previous year. At Leipzig University’s b-ACTmatter research and transfer centre, innovative approaches are being explored to address the growing scarcity of resources in the face of a rising global population — through sustainable production processes and circular economy technologies. The REPLACER project is developing new generations of hybrid living materials. These materials are designed to reduce plastic pollution by using CO₂ and methane, says project lead Dr Rohan Karande in an interview.

Go to the interview

Bioactive matter – technologies for sustainable production and a healthy environment of the future

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We are currently facing major social challenges. Topics such as resource scarcity, the climate crisis and social and economic injustice are issues of acute relevance. On 24 March 2025, the university research and transfer centre b-ACTmatter held a symposium on these key issues. The centre’s interdisciplinary and broad-based scientific team cooperates with regional and international partners to develop innovative solutions and successfully establish them on the market.

In the presence of representatives from the Saxon State Ministries for Infrastructure and Regional Development (SMIL) and for Science, Culture and Tourism (SMWK), the Research and Transfer Centre for Bioactive Matter at Leipzig University (b-ACTmatter) held a one-day symposium on 24 March 2025, which focused on new approaches to solving pressing social challenges such as resource scarcity, sustainable production processes and comprehensive environmental protection and monitoring. Together with representatives from science, industry and administration, the participants discussed how interdisciplinary research in the field of bioactive matter – with properties of living and biological organisms – can help to overcome these challenges and rapidly transfer innovative solutions into industrial applications. On the one hand, the symposium offered a review of the past three years in which the centre was established as part of the ‘aufbauACT’ project, which is part of the STARK programme for structural support in lignite mining regions. On the other hand, it looked to the future in order to define the next steps and goals.

The diverse portfolio of b-ACTmatter was discussed with academic and industrial partners from Saxony, Germany and across Europe. Topics ranged from the AI-supported development of bioactive substances and technologies for converting CO₂ and waste streams into sustainable chemical products and energy sources to innovative meat alternatives. A particular focus was placed on the rapid and efficient transfer of the latest research findings into technological applications and industrial processes. Both existing obstacles to technology transfer and new regional opportunities in the Leipzig area, which arise in particular as a result of funding under the STARK programme for structural change in the lignite regions, were discussed in detail.

Successful examples were presented by promising start-ups and spin-off initiatives such as Pacifico Biolabs, EST3R Biotech and SCPsense. They emphasised how crucial the support of partners in the entrepreneurial, scientific and technological fields – including Leipzig University’s SMILE start-up initiative, b-ACTmatter and the leap:up and medical:forge associations – is in successfully overcoming critical hurdles in the spin-off process.

Looking back, the symposium showed that b-ACTmatter has successfully established itself in the region since its launch in July 2021 and has also built up a strong national and international network. During this time, the centre has been able to achieve new research results in more than 20 projects together with over 20 partners from science and industry. At the same time, b-ACTmatter actively supports innovative spin-off projects such as Pacifico Biolabs, EST3R Biotech and SCPsense. The current research projects REPLACER, BIOWIN, LivMat and Microbial Leaf utilise pioneering concepts of hybrid living materials to produce biobased and sustainably produced precursors for plastics, animal feed and pharmaceuticals from CO₂ and/or waste streams.

What’s next? In strategic cooperation with other regional centres and institutes, b-ACTmatter is developing new perspectives for research and transfer in the field of bioactive matter: the centre will intensify its cooperation with the Center for the Transformation of Chemistry (CTC), which is currently being established, and the Kurt Schwabe Institute for Measurement and Sensor Technology Meinsberg e.V.. In addition, b-ACTmatter is planning to establish a venture lab together with the BBZ at Leipzig University as part of its reorganisation in order to transfer innovations into commercial applications in an even more targeted manner.

Looking to the first years of b-ACTmatter, the speakers at the symposium were also positive about the development of the centre: the Vice-Rector for Excellence Development: Research and Transfer, Prof. Dr Jens-Karl Eilers, and the representatives of the Saxon State Ministries – Dr Konstantin Pötschke from the Ministry of Infrastructure and Regional Development (SMIL) and Dr Lutz Bryja from the Ministry of Science, Culture and Tourism (SMWK). Dr Konstantin Pötschke, head of the department for supra-regional structural development measures, aptly emphasised that the first period of the centre was a ‘AUFBAU-ACT’, an act of construction. The solid foundations have now been laid, creating excellent conditions for further growth and innovation.

With this strong foundation and its interdisciplinary network, b-ACTmatter is ideally positioned to develop pioneering solutions for global challenges in the coming years and to establish the Leipzig region internationally as a centre of innovation for bioactive technologies.

The future of the sustainable bioeconomy has already begun here.

Impressions of the Symposium. Photos: University of Lepzig, b-ACTmatter

Science communication: Research presented in an entertaining way

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Bringing science to the public and communicating research content and arguments in an appealing way is an important qualification for scientists.

Selina Hanisch, a doctoral student in the BioMat working group at b-ACTmatter, presented her research work to the public in an entertaining way at two events in autumn.

At the ‘Salon of Science’ on 6 November 2024 at the Chemnitz Industrial Museum, visitors received answers from researchers from various scientific fields to questions such as ‘When will we wear clothes made of CO2?’, ‘When will we travel completely emission-free?’ or ‘How can we achieve the energy transition?’. The event format focuses on personal dialogue.
Together with other experts from Aachen, Dresden, Freiberg and Ilmenau, Selina answered the questions of science-interested guests from the surrounding area in an ‘Ask the Scientist’ interview format. Parallel to the event, the travelling exhibition ‘Power2Change: Mission Energiewende’ was also open to visitors.

Every year, Leipzig University also offers scientists a platform where graduates can present their research work in a generally understandable and entertaining way. On 12 November 2024, the Graduate Academy Leipzig hosted a science slam to mark ‘Doctorate Day’. Here you could present your own research in 10 minutes in an entertaining way. Jack Pop, known from the Circus of Science, led through the evening with interactive experiments.
Selina took 2nd place in the Science Slam that evening with her presentation entitled ‘Bacterial co-housing: from survival to synergy’. Congratulations to her!

Selina Hanisch (left) at the Salon of Science in the Chemnitz Industrial Museum. Photo: Marcel Frank

New managing director at the b-ACT matter research and transfer centre

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In November 2024, Franziska Ullm took over as Managing Director of the Research and Transfer Centre for Bioactive Matter b-ACT matter, succeeding Dr Susanne Ebitsch, who left Leipzig University in October to join the Center for the Transformation of Chemistry (CTC).
The biochemist from Saxony is not new to Leipzig University. She has already studied biology here and later completed a master’s degree in biochemistry with a specialisation in biomedicine.
After completing her studies, Franziska Ullm remained at Leipzig University for the time being: She worked at the Institute of Biochemistry as a research assistant and doctoral student until 2022, where she gained experience in coordinating research projects and supervising junior researchers.
For the past two years, she worked at the FILK Freiberg Institute gGmbH, a non-university Freiberg research institution with an accredited testing laboratory specialising in materials science and technology development.


We are delighted that Franziska Ullm has taken over the administrative management of the centre and would like to extend a warm welcome to her!

Franziska Ullm is the new Managing Director of the b-ACT matter research and transfer centre.

What is the circular economy?

SAS and b-ACTmatter visit pupils in Lommatzsch

On August 6 and 7, Dr. Susanne Ebitsch, Managing Director of b-ACTmatter, and Thomas Wendland from the Saxon Agency for Structural Development GmbH SAS, visited the Lommatzscher secondary school for Nursing care for a talk on Circular Economy.

The aim was to familiarize the 8th and 9th grade students with the topic using the traveling exhibition “Circular economy from the perspective of Saxon research institutions” and the projects about enzymatic plastic recycling by the founding team ESTER Biotech and plastic production with slimy bacteria / algae-WGs by the junior research group BIOMAT of b-ACT matter. Together with the pupils, we discussed ideas on how everyone can contribute to a sustainable circular economy. The drinking cups and gardening tools made from bio-based plastic (PBS @ Exipnos) were particularly eye-catching. The circular economy has particularly great potential for successful structural development in the Free State of Saxony.

The aim was therefore also to sensitize the young generation to the importance of the circular economy and to provide initial insights into research and the future world of work.

Many thanks to the principal Ms. Gerlach and all the class teachers involved!

SAS und b-ACTmatter besuchen Schülerinnen und Schüler in Lommatzsch
Dr. Susanne Ebitsch and Thomas Wendland at secondary school in Lommatzsch. Foto: Thomas Wendland

b-ACT matter Retreat at Nimbschen

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Away from their desks and out of the lab: the b-ACT matter team spent a day at the Nimbschen Monastery Hotel near Grimma to review the current status of research and transfer projects at b-ACT Matter.
Dr. Henri Franquelim and Dr. Rohan Karande presented the innovative research of their junior research groups on the development of biomimetic systems and biomaterials. The LivMat and REPLACER projects, for example, offer opportunities to transform the chemical industry with new bacterial technologies.

In the transfer sector, Prof. Tilo Pompe presented his research group’s start-up project, in which point-of-use sensor assays are developed and used as mobile detection methods for chemical compounds in environmental samples. Dr. Christian Sonnendecker from the start-up EST3R Biotech presented the latest optimizations in the design of plastic-degrading enzymes on the way to high-throughput processes for industrial use.

Vorträge des Forschungs- und Transferprojekte beim Retreat von b-ACT Matter

LivMat project has started

We recently started our new M-ERA.NET Pproject “LivMat: Productive catalytic living materials: combining 3D biobased fibrillar membranes with synthetic microbial consortia to produce chemicals” together with our partners from Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), Solaga GmbH, Istanbul Technical University, Kaunas University of Technology and University of Latvia.

The LivMat project aims to syndicate biobased porous materials with microbial consortia to effectively capture natural and waste resources to synthesize chemicals continuously, demonstrating the basis for catalytic living materials. Within the project we will exemplify the approach by the production of monomers for textile polymer synthesis including ε-caprolactone and adipic acid.

LivMat Website

b-ACT matter at the Saxon Innovation Conference 2024

We at b-ACTmatter had a lot of fun and great discussions at the Saxon Innovation Conference 2024 on 19 June 2024!

In the workshop “From research to product – how does it work?” we got suggestions on how to use design thinking to further develop our research results in an application-oriented and user-centered way. We got creative (see picture Rohan Karande ). Thanks to Jannis Bulla , Milina Rochelle Alber and Lydia Woiterski.

Ronny Frank reports on the ESTER Biotech team’s validation grant results at the conference.

Congratulations to the winners of the Saxon Founder Award

  • 1st place: enaDyne
  • 2nd place: next3D
  • 3rd place: Primogene
Foto: b-ACT matter

Science communication at its best

Vocatium is a career fair for pupils and students and took place in Dresden on May 28, 2024. The fair is a platform for training and studying that offers career guidance for pupils and parents every year.
In addition to the opportunity to talk to trainers on site, pupils and students can also gain insights into the various professional fields through presentations by exhibitors.

Selina Hanisch explained “How a slimy bacterial flat share is helping to shape our energy transition” in a Science Slam at the Vocatium and won 2nd place!

Congratulations!

Sience Slam Vocatium