Falk Harnisch: The electrified biotechnologist

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To produce his valuable fine chemicals, Falk Harnisch electrifies the inhabitants of muddy dwellings. He calls this microbial ‘bioelectrotechnology’. Quelle: Tobias Hametner/ UFZ

11.01.2013  - 

His study objects are bacteria from deep sea sediments. His big objective: the ‘electrification of biotechnology’. Falk Harnisch conducts his research at the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) in Leipzig, where he is working on new biotechnological processes for the synthesis of chemicals. A native of Saxony, his career has not followed a well-worn path. Aided by microbes that can transfer electrons, he wants to produce high value chemicals from carbon dioxide. Harnisch calls this microbial bioelectrotechnology. In classical bioreactors, he creates electric voltages to influence the synthesis performance of microbes. In 2012, the 30-year-old was honoured for his work with the ‘Research Award’ as part of the BMBF funding initiative ‘Next Generation of Biotechnological Procedures – Biotechnology 2020+’.

While the majority of molecular biologists work with the intestinal microbe Escherichia coli, Falk Harnisch prefers the Geobacter genus, whose natural habitat is soil sediments – from river mud to the seabed. Since their discovery in 1987, these bacteria have fascinated researchers all around the world. Geobacter sp. was the first organism that was known to be able to oxidise organic compounds and metals. Another discovery about its characteristics electrified microbiologists in the truest sense: They are able to conduct electrons through their protein appendages. Geobacter, for example, play a role in biological decontamination. Thus, in crude oil leaked following an accident, the Geobacter are employed to reduce the oil to methane. However, Falk Harnisch is not so much interested in the decomposing powers of the bacteria. 

The 30-year-old has the opposite in his sights. “We want to bring about microbial electrosynthesis. Ideally, this would mean producing valuable chemicals from the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide – the holy grail of the research field.” Other groups have already demonstrated that this is possible in principle. Certainly, Geobacter is able to make use of the gas. “To do this, the potential of the electrode must be ‘turned’ from positive to negative,” elucidates the biochemist. To date, however, the method has only been able to synthesise simple organic compounds such as acetic acid and ethanol. Harnisch’s objective is thus to also produce compounds with four carbon atoms, such as butane, butyric acid or butanol: “In industry, you can simply do more with these products,” says Harnisch.

Research Award winner for Biotechnology 2020+

In order to achieve this ambitious goal, Harnisch has assembled a young team: At the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research in Leipzig (UFZ), working together with two technical staff, two graduate students and two postdoctoral fellows, he is hoping to take the electrification of biotechnology to the next level. A motivated team, an ideal environment and generous funding – the conditions for the project are ideal. Harnisch recently received the Research Award from the 'Next Generation of Biotechnological processes – Biotechnology 2020+’ initiative (more…), which was launched in 2010 by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). In addition to the €1.8 million from the BMBF, Harnisch is also receiving a further €900,000 for another project from the Helmholtz Association. 

Growing up near Dresden, Harnisch’s biochemistry studies took him to Greifswald. There, he undertook his Ph.D. in the group headed by Uwe Schröder, a pioneer in the development of microbial fuel cells. In 2005, together with Schröder, he presented the first non-precious metal oxygen reduction cathode microbial fuel cells. He later followed Schröder to Braunschweig in 2008 after the latter took on a professorship at the Technical University. The collaboration was extremely fruitful, and for a while Schroeder and Harnisch became firm partners. However, the young researchers found it hard to find his autonomy at the TU Braunschweig. “At some point I began to look for alternatives,” says the biotechnologist today. The UFZ in Leipzig offered the appropriate framework conditions, and the Head of the Department of Environmental Microbiology, Hauke Harms, supported him from the very beginning, says Harnisch. 

A specialist in for long-haul

In addition to the positions in Greifswald and Braunschweig, Harnisch also conducted research in Australia for half a year in 2011. There, he worked with another pioneer at the Advanced Water Management Centre, University of Queensland in Brisbane: Korneel Rabaey, a pioneer of electrobiotechnology. For Harnisch, his Australia adventures were dramatic: “In Brisbane I came into contact with a wide variety of colleagues, from nanoscientists to wastewater experts. With respect to my field of study, it massively expanded my horizons.” The result of the studies abroad: six publications and two book chapters. “I would definitely describe the time there as productive,” says Harnisch. Only the Australian national sports did little to inspire the travelling researcher: “I’m a marathon runner – not a surfer.”

Energising bioreactors

In the coming years in Leipzig, Harnisch will be dedicated not only to the synthesis of organic compounds from carbon dioxide. In another project, he will also be exploring the optimisation of fermentation reactions. Harnisch plans to electrochemically influence the microbes. One good example is the conversion of glycerol – a waste product in the biodiesel industry – to 1,3-propanediol, a raw material for the manufacturing of plastics: “From an energy perspective, in addition to 1,3-propanediol, half of the products to emerge from the fermentation of glycerol, such as small organic acids and acetic-/formic acids, are unwanted.” The microorganisms have to make these oxidised molecules in order to maintain the internal redox balance. Harnisch’s idea is to provide the balance via external electrodes, to shift the fermentation equilibrium, and to thus increase the yield of 1,3-propanediol. No such ‘live’ bioreactor anywhere in the world is actually market ready. Harnisch wants to change this state of affairs. His rhetoric here is perhaps a souvenir from Australia: he wants to “occupy this vast, unexplored field”, and even “stake out his claim”.

Author: Martin Laqua