New Project: Resource-Saving Biofilm Reactors for Aerosol Biotransformations

The ReActoB research project is developing a next-generation biofilm reactor—the Biofilm Reactor for Aerosol Biotransformations (BRAB)—to pioneer efficient, scalable, and resource-conscious production of valuable chemicals from cyclic alkanes. At its core, the BRAB system uses engineered microbial biofilms suspended in aerosol environments to enable high-efficiency biotransformations under tightly controlled conditions.

The project aims to solve longstanding challenges in industrial bioprocessing by delivering:

• A resource-efficient aerosol biofilm reactor prototype (ePBR) designed to reduce energy and material consumption.
• An optimized nutrient delivery strategy to maintain long-term, high-performance biofilm activity.
• Integrated optogenetic control, allowing real-time regulation of biomass growth through light-sensitive genetic circuits.
• Expanded biocatalyst compatibility, supporting heterotrophic, phototrophic, and mixed-trophic organisms in a single, modular system.

A key goal of ReActoB is to move beyond conventional liquid-phase systems by leveraging aerosol application and tailored support structures to enhance biofilm resilience, growth, and metabolic output. This includes testing new carrier materials and reactor geometries to promote oxygen availability, stability under stress, and continuous cyclohexane biotransformation.

The BRAB concept also integrates advanced O₂-sensing and real-time viability monitoring, enabling dynamic process control and adaptive response to shifting conditions. Modular reactor design will facilitate seamless transitions between biofilm growth and production phases—critical for long-term viability.

The team is evaluating how aerosol-based nutrient application, chemical inducers (e.g., IPTG), and optogenetic switches affect key biofilm parameters such as formation, thickness, induction, and transformation activity. Early tests suggest that PsVLB120 growth can be precisely controlled using light-regulated genetic switches in combination with auxotrophic design.

In parallel, ReActoB is exploring solvent systems suitable for integrated product recovery (ISPR). Simulations and experiments will identify solvents with ideal physicochemical properties for selective cyclohexanol extraction and assess their impact on transformation stability and recovery efficiency.

ReActoB’s prototype will serve as a blueprint for future biofilm-based production systems that prioritize flexibility, scalability, and minimal resource input—setting a new standard for sustainable bioprocess engineering.