Consortium

INsociety specializes in translating breakthrough biotechnology concepts into viable, sustainable innovations. Their team combines expertise in life cycle assessment, techno-economic analysis, and technology transfer with deep knowledge of synthetic biology applications. They have extensive experience evaluating the environmental footprint and economic feasibility of bio-based production systems, from agriculture to biofuels.

IN conducts comprehensive environmental and economic assessments throughout the project, identifying sustainability hotspots early to guide research decisions. They lead all dissemination and communication activities, coordinate stakeholder engagement, and develop strategies for intellectual property management and market introduction. IN works iteratively with all technical partners, updating assessments as the technology progresses from lab to pilot scale.

• Laura Martinelli
• Michela Candotti
• Michela Solari
• Patrizia Zanon
• Linda Costantini
• Diogo Ferreira Machado Matias

The Synthetic Metabolism group at Charité has developed innovative approaches to rewire microbial metabolism, coupling bioproduction to growth. This enables powerful directed evolution of enzymes and pathways. The group has been working on metabolic engineering strategies for efficient CO₂ and single-carbon utilization, developing the fundamental tools that allow microbes to thrive on carbon dioxide as their primary carbon source.

CHA focuses on optimizing the enzymes of the GED cycle—the novel CO₂ fixation pathway at the heart of C5. Using their biosensor-based selection strains, they screen natural enzyme variants and evolve improved versions with enhanced activity. CHA also develops selection systems for the isoprene production pathway, providing UCO with optimized enzymes to update the synthetic organelles. They collaborate closely with ULEI, combining in vivo selection with in vitro biochemical characterization.

• Steffen Lindner-Mehlich
• Daniel Melnitchouk
• Lena Maria Hümmler

The Natural and Synthetic Microbial Biochemistry group at Leiden bridges fundamental enzyme science with practical biotechnology applications. The group has discovered and engineered novel enzymes for single-carbon metabolism, developing strains that efficiently grow on CO₂ and methanol. Their approach combines computational and biochemical characterization, identifying promising enzyme candidates and optimizing them for industrial applications.

ULEI conducts detailed biochemical screening and engineering of enzymes for both CO₂ fixation and isoprene biosynthesis. They perform in vitro enzyme characterization to identify optimal variants, complementing CHA’s in vivo selection work. ULEI collaborates closely with UCO on implementing optimized enzymes in engineered synthetic compartments within Cyanobacteria. Their enzyme expertise ensures that the most efficient catalysts are integrated into the final production system.

• Lennart Schada von Borzyskowski
• Marko Radojkovic

The Bioprocess Engineering Group at WU has over two decades of experience translating microalgae and cyanobacteria research into scalable bioprocesses. Operating the AlgaePARC pilot facility, they specialize in photobioreactor design, high-throughput cultivation, and innovative product extraction methods. Their expertise in optimization and downstream processing ensures that laboratory-scale discoveries can transition to industrial-relevant production scales.

WU develops and operates the closed photobioreactor systems where isoprene production will be validated at pilot scale. They establish methods for direct isoprene harvesting from the gas phase and optimize growth conditions for engineered cyanobacterial strains. WU validates the complete C5 system in a 25-liter bioreactor with continuous monitoring, media recirculation, and integrated gas recovery, demonstrating the technology at TRL 4. Their work provides critical scaling data to IN for techno-economic assessments.

• Maria Barbosa
• Sarah d’Adamo
• Iago Dominguez Teles
• Marcel Janssen
• Chantal Morel
• Lukas M. Trebuch