The course is structured as follows:

• Fundamentals in Bioprocess Engineering:
  Basic Bioreactors, Mode of Operation (Batch/Fedbatch/Continous), Characterization of Bioreactors, Compartment Model
• Biogas process:
  Engineering aspects, biological stages, economic and ecological aspects, current research topics
• Biotechnological ethanol process:
  Microbiological background, application, current research topics
• Biotechnological acetone/butanol process:
  Microbiological background, application, current research topics
• Research in biotechnological conversion processes:
  Microbial fuel cells, microalgae technology

• Gabriele Di Blasio, Avinash Kumar Agarwal, Giacomo Belgiorno, Pravesh Chandra Shukla: Clean Fuels for Mobility, E-Book, Springer, 2022
• Deublein, D.; Steinhauser, A.: Biogas from Waste and Renewable Resources, Wiley-VCH, Weinheim, 2. rev. and exp. Edition, 2011
• Blaschek, H.-P.; Ezeji, T.; Scheffran, J.: Biofuels from Agricultural Wastes and By-Products, Wiley Blackwell, 2010
• Vertes, A. (ed.); Qureshi, N.; Yukawa, H.; Blaschek, H.-P.: Biomass to Biofuels: Strategies for Global Industries, Wiley, 2010

Students enhance their theoretical knowledge with practical aspects of the following exemplary process steps:

• Literature research focusing on the production of bioethanol from lignocellulosic material, especially from wheat straw
• Selection of one pretreatment variant to be performed in lab including discussion on technical limitations
• Create a Design of Experiments (DoE) Approach to investigate influence of selected process parameters on pretreatment efficiency including the definition of response of interest
• Perform corrseponding experiments in lab including the process steps of pretreatment, enzymatic hydrolysis and fermentation to produce Bioethanol
• Perform required analysis to obtain information on process efficiency, performance of enzymatic hydrolysis and finally bioethanol fermentation
• Use statistical software, e.g. Minitab, to evaluate, illustrate and discuss experimental results
• Write a scientific report on the overall topic and results including literature-based discussion

• Jaisamut et al., Biomass and Bioenergy (2016) 95, 1-7
• Mandenius and Brundin (2008) Bioprocess Optimization Using Design-of-Experiments Methodology
• Ursachi and Gutt (2020) Production of Cellulosic Ethanol from Enzymatically Hydrolysed Wheat Straw
• Carillo et al. (2005) Effect of alkali pretreatment on the cellulosic hydrolysis of wheat straw

1. Basics in Polymer Chemistry
   a. Definition of Polymers, Copolymers and Biopolymers
   b. Synthetic Polymers vs. Biopolymers
   c. Spatial Structure of Biopolymers
   d. R/S configuration
   e. Polysaccharides
2. Production, sources of raw materials and biogedradabtity of Bioplastics
   a. Polylactid acid
   b. Cellulose-based plastics
   c. Starch-based plastics
   d. Polyhydroxyalkanoates
   e. Bio-derived Polyethylene
   f. Paramylon derivatives
3. Cellulose and its derivates: chemical, physical, technical properties, applications, composition and chemical structure
   a. Nitrocellulose
   b. (Carboxy-)Methylcellulose
   c. Cellulose acetate
   d. Viscose
4. Widely used Agro-Polymers: chemical, physical, technical properties, applications, composition and chemical structure
   a. Xanthan gum
   b. Alginate
   c. Agar
   d. Carrageenan
   e. Scleroglucan
   f. Pullulan
   g. Chitin
   h. Chitosan
   i. Pectin
   j. Galactomannans
5. Starch and its derivates: chemical, physical, technical properties, applications, composition and chemical structure
   a. Temperature/enzymatically modified starch (Maltodextrin, Dextrin, Glucose syrup)
   b. Cyclodextrin
   c. Oxidized Amylose = Superabsorber
   d. Hydroxyethyl starch (HES)
   e. Foamed starch
6. Production and sources of raw materials for Biofuels
   a. Bioethanol
   b. Biomethanol
   c. Biodiesel
   d. Microalgae biofuels
7. Bioleaching
   a. Heap leaching vs. Bioleaching
   b. Bioleaching of electronic waste
8. Synthetic routes of bio-based chemicals, applications, composition and chemical structure
   a. Methane
   b. Carbon Monoxide
   c. Methanol
   d. Ethylene
   e. Mono-Ethyleneglycol
   f. Lactic acid
   g. Propylene
   h. Acrylic acid and derivatives
   i. Butanol

• Lewandowsky, I.: Bioeconomy. Springer; 1st ed. 2018
• OECD: The Bioeconomy to 2030. 2009