Team Bioengineering & Biorefining (Pr Patrick Gerin & Benoît Stenuit)

ELIM

Overview

The research activities performed in our group cover several aspects of bioprocess engineering in the field of biorefining and environmental biotechnology :

  • Characterization of feedstocks to be valorised, (bio)processed materials and environmental materials to be (bio)remediated: e.g. lignocellulosic biomass, halophytic species, bio-wastes, contaminated soil and water, etc.

    • Downstream processing - physical and chemical refining process to recover, purify and valorise the synthesised bioproducts.

    • Conversion and bioconversion (fermentation) processes with chemical, enzymatic and biological catalysts, applied to produce high-value bio-based chemicals, fuel & fuel additives, food additives and purified botanical extracts.

    • Upstream processing - physico-chemical and biological treatments applied to fractionate biomass and generate intermediates (e.g. organosolv delignification, extraction, “electro-fractionation”, enzymatic hydrolysis).

  • Biorefining, i.e. biomass processing to produce a wide range of bio-based products (with minimal waste generation and maximal value):

  • Bioremediation of (bio)wastes, contaminated soil and water by using (electro-)chemical, enzymatic and biological catalysts and "green" processes to degrade or convert harmfull pollutants to environmentally safe to recycle or to dispose materials