Biocatalysis

About

We build complex products from renewable raw materials using synthetic enzyme cascades. For this purpose, we combine - in a modular and flexible way - enzymes that do not occur together in nature. Rational enzyme engineering, reaction optimization and process design are used to obtain economically and ecologically efficient cascades.

An interdisciplinary team of (bio)chemists, biologists and engineers develops these multi-enzyme catalyzed processes with high step and atom efficiency while avoiding (toxic) by-products.

Starting from low-cost material, especially high-value (optically active) fine chemicals, often with direct pharmaceutical application, but also building blocks for chemicals or biofuels are produced. So far, product platforms of 2-hydroxyketones, amines, amino alcohols, diols and tetrahydroisoquinolines (the latter showing e.g. great potential as antibiotics and anticancer drugs) have been established. Some processes are successfully scaled up with collaborative partners from industry.

Research Topics

Current and future research targets are

  1. the use of continuous systems and unconventional media to increase space-time-yields > read more
  2. combining enzymes, chemical catalysts and microbial cell factories to generate value from renewable resources > read more
  3. regulation of enzyme activities in cascades using light > read more
  4. data management in biocatalysis using FAIR principles > read more

Research activities take place at Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH while teaching activities are conducted at RWTH Aachen University (Aachen Biology and Biotechnology) in the Teaching- and Research Area Synthetic Enzyme Cascades.

Contact

Prof. Dr. Dörte Rother

IBG-1

Building 15.4 / Room 102

+49 2461/61-6772

E-Mail

Team `Synthetic enzyme cascades´

Members

Prof. Dr. Dörte RotherGroup head „Biocatalysis“Building 15.21 / Room 4034+49 2461/61-6772
Prof. Dr. Martina PohlRepresentative group headBuilding 15.21 / Room R 4035+49 2461/61-4388

Scientific staff

Najme Gord NoshahriScientific staffBuilding 15.21 / Room 4039+49 2461/61-84371
Dr. Torsten SehlScientific staffBuilding 15.4 / Room 101/1+49 2461/61-6007
Dr. Julia TenhaefScientific staffBuilding 15.21 / Room 4039+49 2461/61-96939

Technicians

Lilia ArnoldTechnicianBuilding 15.21 / Room R 4037+49 2461/61-3788
Dipl.-Ing. Ilona Frindi-WoschTechnicianBuilding 15.21 / Room R 4038+49 2461/61-5199
Doris HahnTechnicianBuilding 15.21 / Room 4037+49 2461/61-3788
Heike OffermannTechnicianBuilding 15.21 / Room 4037+49 2461/61-3788

PhD students

Flora Maria BindreiterPh.D. studentBuilding 15.21 / Room 4038+49 2461/61-5199
Nina KlosPh. D. studentBuilding 15.21 / Room 4039+49 2461/61-84371
Dominik Meißner Ph.D. studentBuilding 15.21 / Room 4038+49 2461/61-5199
Maria NicolasPh.D. studentBuilding 15.21 / Room 4039+49 2461/61-84371
Berit RothkranzPhD studentBuilding 15.21 / Room 4037+49 2461/61-3788

Student

Bhakti Bhau SawantMaster studentBuilding 15.21 / Room 4043+49 2461/61-84373
Ainul Hidayah Binti Mohd NasirBachelor studentBuilding 15.21 / Room 4043+49 2461/61-84373
Lisa SumailaMaster studentBuilding 15.21 / Room 4037+49 2461/61-3788

Publications

selected press releases & videos

"What can biotechnology do?" a talk as part of a seminar organized by the Aachen computer scientists for a non-specialist audience. January 17th 2024, Recording and publication on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVGxaAJFN6Y

Bioeconomy Blog. Im Takt der Temperatur: das Enzym Orchester I Falling Walls Rheinland
https://blogs.fz-juelich.de/biooekonomie/2020/11/16/im-takt-der-temperatur-das-enzym-orchester/

Mit Biotech die Welt retten. Geht das? Faktencheck Folge 1
Online-Wissensmagazin zur Bio-Innovation
Konzept: Futurium Berlin | Produktion: Februar Film | Moderation: Barbara Scherle
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1lO4YK4FC3ht0p1L77nqKF6sjdNkUk03
https://www.facebook.com/futuriumD/videos/786937728749330/

Video "MyScience". RWTH Aachen University: Prof. Dörte Rother
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nil-j8a218w

DECHEMA Price 2019. Press release
https://dechema.de/Presse/Pressemitteilungen/1_2019+DECHEMA_Preis+Rother-p-20113665.html

Die Meisterin der Enzyme. Portrait in: Helmholtz Perspektiven. 01/2019: 40-42
https://www.helmholtz.de/newsroom/artikel/die-meisterin-der-enzyme/

10 Köpfe für unsere Zukunft – Nachwuchsforscher aus NRW. Bild online. 18.10.2017. http://www.bild.de/regional/ruhrgebiet/forschung/10-koepfe-fuer-unsere-zukunft-53561054.bild.html

Publications in peer-reviewed journals
monographs
patents

Last Modified: 19.05.2025