Team
The CassaFLOW innovative consortium is composed of experts from European research organisations and promising SMEs, supported by the European Innovation Council. The experts from Delft University of Technology (Prof. Ulf Hanefeld), Eindhoven University of Technology (Prof. Jan van Hest) and Bielefeld University (Prof. Harald Gröger) have successfully worked together to develop the innovative reaction telescoping and flow chemistry ONE FLOW technology, a key element which cassaFLOW will build upon. Two experienced industrial partners, Chiralvision (Managing Director Rob Schoevaart) and SpinChem (CEO Emil Byström) will contribute with their expertise in enzyme immobilization, sustainable carrier materials and fine chemicals (Chiralvision) and engineering for intensification of biocatalytic processes (SpinChem).
Delft University of Technology
Prof. Dr. Ulf Hanefeld studied chemistry in Germany and did PhD research in the Göttingen and Seattle and then post doc’ed in London, Cambridge and Delft. He teaches and performs research in the Biocatalysis section of the Department of Biotechnology of the TU Delft. His research includes enzymes for organic chemistry, enzyme immobilisation and their application in flow chemistry.
Delft University of Technology
Dr. Jonathan Berger joined the cassaFlow project recently as a post-doctoral researcher in the group of Professor Ulf Hanefeld at TU Delft. He is interested in finding new biocatalytic routes to develop more sustainable approaches for industrially relevant components. He received his PhD in chemistry from the University of Stuttgart, under the supervision of Professor Bernhard Hauer, working on the sustainable production of flavor and fragrance compounds. In his free time he enjoys hiking, climbing and music.
Eindhoven University of Technology
Dr. Andoni Rodríguez López de Abetxuko is a post-doctoral researcher at the Eindhoven University of Technology under the supervision of Professor Jan van Hest. He holds a PhD in Physics of Advanced Materials and Nanostructures from the University of the Basque Country where Dr. Ana Beloqui mentored him on making enzyme-polymer hybrids for heterogeneous biocatalysis. He enjoys his daily life playing sports, singing, or reading.
Delft University of Technology
Dr. Erika Murce Silva works in TU Delft as both a project officer for the Department of Biotechnology, and also as the project manager for cassaFLOW. She has a background in chemistry, and earned her master’s degree in Organic Chemistry at the INSA of Rouen, France. She obtained her PhD in Radiopharmaceutical Chemistry at the Erasmus MC, Rotterdam.
Eindhoven University of Technology
Prof. Jan van Hest obtained his PhD from Eindhoven University of Technology. After a postdoctoral stay with prof D.A. Tirrell, he joined the chemical company DSM. In 2000 he was appointed full professor in Bio-organic chemistry at Radboud University Nijmegen. As of September 2016 he holds the chair of Bio-organic Chemistry at Eindhoven University of Technology. Since May 2017 he is the scientific director of the Institute for Complex Molecular Systems (ICMS). His research focuses on developing well-defined compartments for nanoreactors, nanomedicine and artificial cell research.
University of Bielefeld
Dr. Haruka Homma is a postdoctoral researcher at Bielefeld University, working under the supervision of Professor Harald Gröger. She earned her PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences from Chiba University, where she conducted research on developing novel cyclization reactions using transition metal catalysts under the mentorship of Professor Nemoto. Although her academic background is in organic chemistry with a focus on metal-catalyzed reactions, Dr. Homma is currently expanding her expertise to include biocatalysis as part of her involvement in the CassaFLOW project.
Dedicated to the application of biocatalysis, ChiralVision was founded in 2006, privately funded with headquarters now in the Delft area situated between the major towns of Rotterdam and The Hague, The Netherlands. ChiralVision has developed a new range of macro- and giga-porous carriers suitable for any type of enzyme with a low diffusion limitation ensuring high activity. These are available for large scale production at guaranteed minimized costs. As a result of these developments, the number of industrial applications is steadily growing and the ongoing progress will ensure continued success in meeting new challenges. ChiralVision has joined the cassaFLOW project to share and further develop its knowledge and experience in enzymatic process development and the field of enzymatic synthesis of optically pure unnatural amino acids.
Spinchem provides cutting-edge biocatalysis and waste treatment technology, enabling the chemical process owners in different industries to streamline their operations, meet regulatory requirements, and significantly reduce their environmental footprint, ultimately leading to increased profitability and industry leadership. Spinchem currently offers more than 40 different products (i.e., laboratory equipment and accessories) for (bio-)catalytic processes with industrial and research applications. Among these, Spinchem offers standard and customized versions of rotating bed reactors (RBRs). This innovative technology leads to excellent mass transfer efficiency for solid-phase process efficiency. The compartments allow for different catalysts to be used simultaneously and in flow, while ensuring cofactor recycling.