Research in ACIB

The long-term perspective and international dimension of our research allows to achieve the critical mass to invent, predict and design innovative, efficient and unprecedented industrial bioprocesses.
The ACIB research fields provide the scientific and structural basis for cross disciplinary research involving key disciplines such as organic chemistry, microbiology, molecular, structural and cell biology, bioinformatics, modelling and simulation, process engineering, and systems biotechnology.

Research Fields

Biocatalytic Synthesis	Based on the fundamental understanding of enzyme-kinetics, -structure and -mechanism, innovative bioprocesses will be provided which will lead to significantly reduced development times and enhanced predictability for biotransformations.
Enzymes and Polymers	The aim of this researchr field is the development of mechanistic knowledge about the function of enzymes on polymers and novel tools for the modification of bio/synthetic polymers and the production of functional and intelligent polymeric materials.
Cell Design and Engineering	All industrial bioprocesses are based on the use of cells or their components. The aim of this research field is a detailed quantitative understanding of cellular processes which determine and limit the synthesis of bioproducts.
Protein Design and Engineering	The structure, function and performance of enzymes as well as pharmaceutical and  regulatory proteins will be investigated on the molecular level. Information about the structure-function relationship will aid in efficiently engineering proteins with  tailor-made and new functionalities, high performance and stability.
Bioprocess Engineering	Development and engineering of industrial scale bioprocesses for the production of microorganisms, chemicals, enzymes and biopharmaceuticals will be improved by novel tools, materials and control-strategies leading to intensified and thus more cost-effective biotechnological production processes.
Metabolic Modelling	By February 2011 a junior group on Metabolic Modelling has been established in Vienna. The research focuses on systems biology of cellular metabolism. Metabolic models (in particular genome-scale reconstructions) and computational methods are used to understand the interplay between network topology and metabolic functions. Based on such an analysis the aim is to derive rational engineering strategies to turn (micro)organisms into efficient “cell factories”.
Synthetic Biology	By November 2011 the second ACIB junior group on Synthetic Biology has been established in Graz. The research focuses on non-canonical amino acids as building blocks for synthetic proteins and bioactive compounds.