Biological Production Systems
Photosynthetic microorganisms such as microalgae are innovative cell factories for the environmentally benign production of many bio-based chemicals. Such microorganisms are capable to synthesize a wide range of macromolecules, e.g. lipids, carbohydrates, proteins and valuable secondary metabolites from sunlight, carbon dioxide and inorganic nutrients at higher volumetric and areal productivities compared to terrestrial crops.
The exciting field of Synthetic Biology focuses on producing engineered, predictable cells or other biological systems to carry out desired functions, whereby these functions can be modified, enhanced or entirely new. Conceptually, Synthetic Biology relies on breaking down the complexity of biological systems into smaller subsystems and functional modules, followed by (re-)designing and (re-)assembling them into larger units.