Expertisecentrum Duurzame Biomassa en Chemie

We are a multidisciplinary research group, dedicated towards sustainable chemistry based on insect and algae biomass and the valorisation of side streams and waste. We perform research and give advice on the cultivation and processing of insects and microalgae and processing waste into new sustainable products. Our microalgae research is done both on lab- and pilot-scale. As a pilot installation we have four closed tubular photobioreactors with a total volume of 4200L. We mainly focus on the sustainability and optimization of cultivation conditions, e.g., like utilization of wastewater, and the recycling of the culture media. The pilot plant reactors are installed in a greenhouse with an elaborate climate control system, so that the possibilities of cultivation of microalgae as innovative crop in horticulture can be examined. The greenhouse and photobioreactors are equipped with specialized measuring devices, so that it is well suited for practice-oriented research. In our insect facility we investigate how the breeding process of different insect species can be optimized. At the moment we have stable colonies of three insect species. Black soldier flies (Hermetia illucens), yellow mealworms (Tenebrio molitor), house crickets (Acheta domestic). Apart from breeding optimization and the development of pilot scale production systems we focus on valorisation of organic side streams from industry and agriculture, and the quality and safety during insect breeding. Insects and microalgae contain interesting compounds such as proteins, fats, chitine, pigments, etc., which are valuable resources for applications in many different areas like food, feed and biobased chemicals. Together with different partners, our team also works on extracting these valuable components and finding new markets for these products. We have lab and pilot scaled facilities with analytical labs to process side streams and waste into new products or building blocks for sustainable chemistry.