04 Fakultät Energie-, Verfahrens- und Biotechnik

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://elib.uni-stuttgart.de/handle/11682/5

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    Global potentials and costs of synfuels via Fischer-Tropsch process
    (2023) Buchenberg, Patrick; Addanki, Thushara; Franzmann, David; Winkler, Christoph; Lippkau, Felix; Hamacher, Thomas; Kuhn, Philipp; Heinrichs, Heidi; Blesl, Markus
    This paper presents the potentials and costs of synthetic fuels (synfuels) produced by renewable energy via PEM water electrolysis and the subsequent Fischer-Tropsch process for the years 2020, 2030, 2040, and 2050 in selected countries across the globe. The renewable energy potential was determined by the open-source tool pyGRETA and includes photovoltaic, onshore wind, and biomass. Carbon dioxide is obtained from biomass and the atmosphere by direct air capture. The potentials and costs were determined by aggregating minimal cost energy systems for each location on a state level. Each linear energy system was modelled and optimised by the optimisation framework urbs. The analysis focused on decentralised and off-grid synthetic fuels’ production. The transportation costs were roughly estimated based on the distance to the nearest maritime port for export. The distribution infrastructure was not considered since the already-existing infrastructure for fossil fuels can be easily adopted. The results showed that large amounts of synthetic fuels are available for EUR 110/MWh (USD 203/bbl) mainly in Africa, Central and South America, as well as Australia for 2050. This corresponds to a cost reduction of more than half compared to EUR 250/MWh (USD 461/bbl) in 2020. The synfuels’ potentials follow the photovoltaic potentials because of the corresponding low levelised cost of electricity. Batteries are in particular used for photovoltaic-dominant locations, and transportation costs are low compared to production costs.
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    Abschaltung von dezentralen Erzeugungsanlagen infolge von Unterspannungen im Kontext von LFSM-O
    (2022) Schöll, Christian; Lehner, Joachim; Weidner, Johannes; Lens, Hendrik
    Bei einer Überfrequenz jenseits von 50,2 Hz müssen sämtliche Erzeugungsanlagen ihre in das Netz eingespeiste Wirkleistung reduzieren. In den zumeist resistiv geprägten Verteilungsnetzen der Mittel- und Niederspannung führt diese überfrequenzbedingte Leistungsreduktion zu einer lokalen Absenkung des Spannungsprofils. Unterschreiten die Spannungen die Vorgaben aus den Netzanschlussbedingungen, unter denen dezentrale Erzeugungsanlagen die Verbindung zum Netz aufrechterhalten müssen, kann es zu unterspannungsbedingten Schutzabschaltungen kommen. Theoretisch könnten diese bei großflächigem Auftreten zu einer Umkehr des ursprünglichen Überfrequenzereignisses in ein Unterfrequenzereignis führen. Anhand von simulationsbasierten Untersuchungen wird in diesem Beitrag jedoch aufgezeigt, dass unter realitätsnahen Annahmen und unter Berücksichtigung der nationalen Richtlinien sowie der zugehörigen netzplanerischen Leitplanken kein besonderes Risiko hinsichtlich der Anregung der beschriebenen Wirkungskette vorliegt.
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    Identifying and engineering bottlenecks of autotrophic isobutanol formation in recombinant C. ljungdahlii by systemic analysis
    (2021) Hermann, Maria; Teleki, Attila; Weitz, Sandra; Niess, Alexander; Freund, Andreas; Bengelsdorf, Frank Robert; Dürre, Peter; Takors, Ralf
    Clostridium ljungdahlii (C. ljungdahlii, CLJU) is natively endowed producing acetic acid, 2,3-butandiol, and ethanol consuming gas mixtures of CO2, CO, and H2 (syngas). Here, we present the syngas-based isobutanol formation using C. ljungdahlii harboring the recombinant amplification of the “Ehrlich” pathway that converts intracellular KIV to isobutanol. Autotrophic isobutanol production was studied analyzing two different strains in 3-L gassed and stirred bioreactors. Physiological characterization was thoroughly applied together with metabolic profiling and flux balance analysis. Thereof, KIV and pyruvate supply were identified as key “bottlenecking” precursors limiting preliminary isobutanol formation in CLJU[KAIA] to 0.02 g L-1. Additional blocking of valine synthesis in CLJU[KAIA]:ilvE increased isobutanol production by factor 6.5 finally reaching 0.13 g L-1. Future metabolic engineering should focus on debottlenecking NADPH availability, whereas NADH supply is already equilibrated in the current generation of strains.
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    Anti-adhesive surfaces inspired by bee mandible surfaces
    (2023) Saccardi, Leonie; Schiebl, Jonas; Balluff, Franz; Christ, Ulrich; Gorb, Stanislav N.; Kovalev, Alexander; Schwarz, Oliver
    Propolis, a naturally sticky substance used by bees to secure their hives and protect the colony from pathogens, presents a fascinating challenge. Despite its adhesive nature, honeybees adeptly handle propolis with their mandibles. Previous research has shown a combination of an anti-adhesive fluid layer and scale-like microstructures on the inner surface of bee mandibles. Our aim was to deepen our understanding of how surface energy and microstructure influence the reduction in adhesion for challenging substances like propolis. To achieve this, we devised surfaces inspired by the intricate microstructure of bee mandibles, employing diverse techniques including roughening steel surfaces, creating lacquer structures using Bénard cells, and moulding resin surfaces with hexagonal patterns. These approaches generated patterns that mimicked the bee mandible structure to varying degrees. Subsequently, we assessed the adhesion of propolis on these bioinspired structured substrates. Our findings revealed that on rough steel and resin surfaces structured with hexagonal dimples, propolis adhesion was significantly reduced by over 40% compared to unstructured control surfaces. However, in the case of the lacquer surface patterned with Bénard cells, we did not observe a significant reduction in adhesion.
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    Transcriptional CDK inhibitors CYC065 and THZ1 induce apoptosis in glioma stem cells derived from recurrent GBM
    (2021) Juric, Viktorija; Düssmann, Heiko; Lamfers, Martine L. M.; Prehn, Jochen H. M.; Rehm, Markus; Murphy, Brona M.
    Glioma stem cells (GSCs) are tumour initiating cells which contribute to treatment resistance, temozolomide (TMZ) chemotherapy and radiotherapy, in glioblastoma (GBM), the most aggressive adult brain tumour. A major contributor to the uncontrolled tumour cell proliferation in GBM is the hyper activation of cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs). Due to resistance to standard of care, GBMs relapse in almost all patients. Targeting GSCs using transcriptional CDK inhibitors, CYC065 and THZ1 is a potential novel treatment to prevent relapse of the tumour. TCGA-GBM data analysis has shown that the GSC markers, CD133 and CD44 were significantly upregulated in GBM patient tumours compared to non-tumour tissue. CD133 and CD44 stem cell markers were also expressed in gliomaspheres derived from recurrent GBM tumours. Light Sheet Florescence Microscopy (LSFM) further revealed heterogeneous expression of these GSC markers in gliomaspheres. Gliomaspheres from recurrent tumours were highly sensitive to transcriptional CDK inhibitors, CYC065 and THZ1 and underwent apoptosis while being resistant to TMZ. Apoptotic cell death in GSC subpopulations and non-stem tumour cells resulted in sphere disruption. Collectively, our study highlights the potential of these novel CKIs to induce cell death in GSCs from recurrent tumours, warranting further clinical investigation.
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    Nano-in-micro-particles consisting of PLGA nanoparticles embedded in chitosan microparticles via spray-drying enhances their uptake in the olfactory mucosa
    (2021) Spindler, Lena Marie; Feuerhake, Andreas; Ladel, Simone; Günday, Cemre; Flamm, Johannes; Günday-Türeli, Nazende; Türeli, Emre; Tovar, Günter E. M.; Schindowski, Katharina; Gruber-Traub, Carmen
    Intranasal delivery has gained prominence since 1990, when the olfactory mucosa was recognized as the window to the brain and the central nervous system (CNS); this has enabled the direct site specific targeting of neurological diseases for the first time. Intranasal delivery is a promising route because general limitations, such as the blood-brain barrier (BBB) are circumvented. In the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS) or Alzheimer’s disease, for example, future treatment prospects include specialized particles as delivery vehicles. Poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanoparticles are well known as promising delivery systems, especially in the area of nose-to-brain (N2B) delivery. Chitosan is also broadly known as a functional additive due to its ability to open tight junctions. In this study, we produced PLGA nanoparticles of different sizes and revealed for the first time their size-time-dependent uptake mechanism into the lamina propria of porcine olfactory mucosa. The intracellular uptake was observed for 80 and 175 nm within only 5 min after application to the epithelium. After 15 min, even 520 nm particles were detected, associated with nuclei. Especially the presence of only 520 nm particles in neuronal fibers is remarkable, implying transcellular and intracellular transport via the olfactory or the trigeminal nerve to the brain and the CNS. Additionally, we developed successfully specialized Nano-in-Micro particles (NiMPs) for the first time via spray drying, consisting of PLGA nanoparticles embedded into chitosan microparticles, characterized by high encapsulation efficiencies up to 51%, reproducible and uniform size distribution, as well as smooth surface. Application of NiMPs accelerated the uptake compared to purely applied PLGA nanoparticles. NiMPs were spread over the whole transverse section of the olfactory mucosa within 15 min. Faster uptake is attributed to additional paracellular transport, which was examined via tight-junction-opening. Furthermore, a separate chitosan penetration gradient of ∼150 µm caused by dissociation from PLGA nanoparticles was observed within 15 min in the lamina propria, which was demonstrated to be proportional to an immunoreactivity gradient of CD14. Due to the beneficial properties of the utilized chitosan-derivative, regarding molecular weight (150-300 kDa), degree of deacetylation (80%), and particle size (0.1-10 µm) we concluded that M2-macrophages herein initiated an anti-inflammatory reaction, which seems to already take place within 15 min following chitosan particle application. In conclusion, we demonstrated the possibility for PLGA nanoparticles, as well as for chitosan NiMPs, to take all three prominent intranasal delivery pathways to the brain and the CNS; namely transcellular, intracellular via neuronal cells, and paracellular transport.
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    Application of ion chromatography for the reliable quantification of ammonium in electrochemical ammonia synthesis experiments : a practical guide
    (2023) Bragulla, Sebastian C. H.; Lorenz, Julian; Harms, Corinna; Wark, Michael; Friedrich, K. Andreas
    Assessing novel electrocatalysts for the electrochemical ammonia synthesis (EAS) requires reliable quantitative trace analysis of electrochemically produced ammonia to infer activity and selectivity. This study concerns the development of an ion chromatography (IC) method for quantitative trace analysis of ammonium in 0.1 M sulfuric acid electrolyte, which is applied to EAS gas-diffusion electrode (GDE) experiments with commercial chromium nitride as electrocatalyst. The developed IC method is highly sensitive, versatile, and reliable, achieving a limit of quantification (LOQ) of 6 μg l-1 (6 ppbmol) ammonium. The impacts of the sample matrix, dilution, and neutralization, as well as contamination, on the quantitative analysis by IC are analyzed. Experimental constraints result in an effective LOQ including dilution of 60 μg l-1 for the determination of ammonium in 0.1 M sulfuric acid electrolyte, owing to necessary sample dilution. The practical guide presented herein is intended to be very relevant for the field of EAS as a guideline and applicable to a broad range of catalyst systems and ion chromatography devices.
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    Light-addressable actuator-sensor platform for monitoring and manipulation of pH gradients in microfluidics : a case study with the enzyme penicillinase
    (2021) Welden, Rene; Jablonski, Melanie; Wege, Christina; Keusgen, Michael; Wagner, Patrick Hermann; Wagner, Torsten; Schöning, Michael J.
    The feasibility of light-addressed detection and manipulation of pH gradients inside an electrochemical microfluidic cell was studied. Local pH changes, induced by a light-addressable electrode (LAE), were detected using a light-addressable potentiometric sensor (LAPS) with different measurement modes representing an actuator-sensor system. Biosensor functionality was examined depending on locally induced pH gradients with the help of the model enzyme penicillinase, which had been immobilized in the microfluidic channel. The surface morphology of the LAE and enzyme-functionalized LAPS was studied by scanning electron microscopy. Furthermore, the penicillin sensitivity of the LAPS inside the microfluidic channel was determined with regard to the analyte’s pH influence on the enzymatic reaction rate. In a final experiment, the LAE-controlled pH inhibition of the enzyme activity was monitored by the LAPS.
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    Modeled 3D-structures of proteobacterial transglycosylases from glycoside hydrolase family 17 give insight in ligand interactions explaining differences in transglycosylation products
    (2021) Linares-Pastén, Javier A.; Jonsdottir, Lilja Björk; Hreggvidsson, Gudmundur O.; Fridjonsson, Olafur H.; Watzlawick, Hildegard; Karlsson, Eva Nordberg
    The structures of glycoside hydrolase family 17 (GH17) catalytic modules from modular proteins in the ndvB loci in Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Glt1), P. putida (Glt3) and Bradyrhizobium diazoefficiens (previously B. japonicum) (Glt20) were modeled to shed light on reported differences between these homologous transglycosylases concerning substrate size, preferred cleavage site (from reducing end (Glt20: DP2 product) or non-reducing end (Glt1, Glt3: DP4 products)), branching (Glt20) and linkage formed (1,3-linkage in Glt1, Glt3 and 1,6-linkage in Glt20). Hybrid models were built and stability of the resulting TIM-barrel structures was supported by molecular dynamics simulations. Catalytic amino acids were identified by superimposition of GH17 structures, and function was verified by mutagenesis using Glt20 as template (i.e., E120 and E209). Ligand docking revealed six putative subsites (-4, -3, -2, -1, +1 and +2), and the conserved interacting residues suggest substrate binding in the same orientation in all three transglycosylases, despite release of the donor oligosaccharide product from either the reducing (Glt20) or non-reducing end (Glt1, Gl3). Subsites +1 and +2 are most conserved and the difference in release is likely due to changes in loop structures, leading to loss of hydrogen bonds in Glt20. Substrate docking in Glt20 indicate that presence of covalently bound donor in glycone subsites -4 to -1 creates space to accommodate acceptor oligosaccharide in alternative subsites in the catalytic cleft, promoting a branching point and formation of a 1,6-linkage. The minimum donor size of DP5, can be explained assuming preferred binding of DP4 substrates in subsite -4 to -1, preventing catalysis.
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    Differential amino acid uptake and depletion in mono-cultures and co-cultures of Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus in a novel semi-synthetic medium
    (2022) Ulmer, Andreas; Erdemann, Florian; Mueller, Susanne; Loesch, Maren; Wildt, Sandy; Jensen, Maiken Lund; Gaspar, Paula; Zeidan, Ahmad A.; Takors, Ralf
    The mechanistic understanding of the physiology and interactions of microorganisms in starter cultures is critical for the targeted improvement of fermented milk products, such as yogurt, which is produced by Streptococcus thermophilus in co-culture with Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus. However, the use of complex growth media or milk is a major challenge for quantifying metabolite production, consumption, and exchange in co-cultures. This study developed a synthetic medium that enables the establishment of defined culturing conditions and the application of flow cytometry for measuring species-specific biomass values. Time courses of amino acid concentrations in mono-cultures and co-cultures of L. bulgaricus ATCC BAA-365 with the proteinase-deficient S. thermophilus LMG 18311 and with a proteinase-positive S. thermophilus strain were determined. The analysis revealed that amino acid release rates in co-culture were not equivalent to the sum of amino acid release rates in mono-cultures. Data-driven and pH-dependent amino acid release models were developed and applied for comparison. Histidine displayed higher concentrations in co-cultures, whereas isoleucine and arginine were depleted. Amino acid measurements in co-cultures also confirmed that some amino acids, such as lysine, are produced and then consumed, thus being suitable candidates to investigate the inter-species interactions in the co-culture and contribute to the required knowledge for targeted shaping of yogurt qualities.