Category: Allgemein

On June 20, 2025, numerous Leipzig-based scientific institutions, associations, and companies presented their research at the Long Night of Science in Leipzig.
Our BioMat working group was also present at the BIO CITY location and provided interested parties from Leipzig and the surrounding area with exciting insights into our research projects — such as LivMat — and the technological developments of our researchers.

At our stand, we showed visitors how we can learn from nature’s ingenious designs, concepts and applications. Inspired by this and using biofilms, Dr. Rohan Karande’s research group develops unique hybrid living materials (HLMs). On this evening, various microbes could be admired under the microscope, and children could search for their ‘personal’ microorganism and find out which type suits them best.

We are currently facing major social challenges. Topics such as resource scarcity, the climate crisis and social and economic injustice are issues of acute relevance. On 24 March 2025, the university research and transfer centre b-ACT^matter held a symposium on these key issues. The centre’s interdisciplinary and broad-based scientific team cooperates with regional and international partners to develop innovative solutions and successfully establish them on the market.

In the presence of representatives from the Saxon State Ministries for Infrastructure and Regional Development (SMIL) and for Science, Culture and Tourism (SMWK), the Research and Transfer Centre for Bioactive Matter at Leipzig University (b-ACT^matter) held a one-day symposium on 24 March 2025, which focused on new approaches to solving pressing social challenges such as resource scarcity, sustainable production processes and comprehensive environmental protection and monitoring. Together with representatives from science, industry and administration, the participants discussed how interdisciplinary research in the field of bioactive matter – with properties of living and biological organisms – can help to overcome these challenges and rapidly transfer innovative solutions into industrial applications. On the one hand, the symposium offered a review of the past three years in which the centre was established as part of the ‘aufbauACT’ project, which is part of the STARK programme for structural support in lignite mining regions. On the other hand, it looked to the future in order to define the next steps and goals.

The diverse portfolio of b-ACT^matter was discussed with academic and industrial partners from Saxony, Germany and across Europe. Topics ranged from the AI-supported development of bioactive substances and technologies for converting CO₂ and waste streams into sustainable chemical products and energy sources to innovative meat alternatives. A particular focus was placed on the rapid and efficient transfer of the latest research findings into technological applications and industrial processes. Both existing obstacles to technology transfer and new regional opportunities in the Leipzig area, which arise in particular as a result of funding under the STARK programme for structural change in the lignite regions, were discussed in detail.

Successful examples were presented by promising start-ups and spin-off initiatives such as Pacifico Biolabs, EST3R Biotech and SCPsense. They emphasised how crucial the support of partners in the entrepreneurial, scientific and technological fields – including Leipzig University’s SMILE start-up initiative, b-ACT^matter and the leap:up and medical:forge associations – is in successfully overcoming critical hurdles in the spin-off process.

Looking back, the symposium showed that b-ACT^matter has successfully established itself in the region since its launch in July 2021 and has also built up a strong national and international network. During this time, the centre has been able to achieve new research results in more than 20 projects together with over 20 partners from science and industry. At the same time, b-ACT^matter actively supports innovative spin-off projects such as Pacifico Biolabs, EST3R Biotech and SCPsense. The current research projects REPLACER, BIOWIN, LivMat and Microbial Leaf utilise pioneering concepts of hybrid living materials to produce biobased and sustainably produced precursors for plastics, animal feed and pharmaceuticals from CO₂ and/or waste streams.

What’s next? In strategic cooperation with other regional centres and institutes, b-ACT^matter is developing new perspectives for research and transfer in the field of bioactive matter: the centre will intensify its cooperation with the Center for the Transformation of Chemistry (CTC), which is currently being established, and the Kurt Schwabe Institute for Measurement and Sensor Technology Meinsberg e.V.. In addition, b-ACTmatter is planning to establish a venture lab together with the BBZ at Leipzig University as part of its reorganisation in order to transfer innovations into commercial applications in an even more targeted manner.

Looking to the first years of b-ACTmatter, the speakers at the symposium were also positive about the development of the centre: the Vice-Rector for Excellence Development: Research and Transfer, Prof. Dr Jens-Karl Eilers, and the representatives of the Saxon State Ministries – Dr Konstantin Pötschke from the Ministry of Infrastructure and Regional Development (SMIL) and Dr Lutz Bryja from the Ministry of Science, Culture and Tourism (SMWK). Dr Konstantin Pötschke, head of the department for supra-regional structural development measures, aptly emphasised that the first period of the centre was a ‘AUFBAU-ACT’, an act of construction. The solid foundations have now been laid, creating excellent conditions for further growth and innovation.

With this strong foundation and its interdisciplinary network, b-ACT^matter is ideally positioned to develop pioneering solutions for global challenges in the coming years and to establish the Leipzig region internationally as a centre of innovation for bioactive technologies.

The future of the sustainable bioeconomy has already begun here.

Bringing science to the public and communicating research content and arguments in an appealing way is an important qualification for scientists.

Selina Hanisch, a doctoral student in the BioMat working group at b-ACTmatter, presented her research work to the public in an entertaining way at two events in autumn.

At the ‘Salon of Science’ on 6 November 2024 at the Chemnitz Industrial Museum, visitors received answers from researchers from various scientific fields to questions such as ‘When will we wear clothes made of CO2?’, ‘When will we travel completely emission-free?’ or ‘How can we achieve the energy transition?’. The event format focuses on personal dialogue.
Together with other experts from Aachen, Dresden, Freiberg and Ilmenau, Selina answered the questions of science-interested guests from the surrounding area in an ‘Ask the Scientist’ interview format. Parallel to the event, the travelling exhibition ‘Power2Change: Mission Energiewende’ was also open to visitors.

Every year, Leipzig University also offers scientists a platform where graduates can present their research work in a generally understandable and entertaining way. On 12 November 2024, the Graduate Academy Leipzig hosted a science slam to mark ‘Doctorate Day’. Here you could present your own research in 10 minutes in an entertaining way. Jack Pop, known from the Circus of Science, led through the evening with interactive experiments.
Selina took 2nd place in the Science Slam that evening with her presentation entitled ‘Bacterial co-housing: from survival to synergy’. Congratulations to her!