바이오에너지 & 생물공정 연구실
바이오에너지 및 바이오리파이너리 기술은 석유화학공정을 대체할 수 있는 지속가능하고 환경친화적인 기술로 최근 주목을 받고 있으며 활발히 연구되고 있는 분야이다. 본 연구실에서는 바이오테크놀로지 기술과 생물전기화학 기술을 이용해 전기에너지, 바이오 가스와 각종 고부가가치 석유화학대체 화학 물질을 생산할 수 있는 지속가능하며 환경친화적인 생물공정 개발을 목표로 하고 있다. 또한 세포 (live cell)와 전기화학 및 재료의 융합을 통해 C1가스 전환, 바이오센서, 대사공학기술 및 균주개발, 유용자원 회수, 난분해성 유기물질 분해 메커니즘 및 생분해성고분자 개발, 바이오필름 제어기술등 신개념 생물공정 및 대사제어 기술개발에 관한 연구를 수행중이다.
Recent Research
- 지속가능한 바이오에너지기술 개발: 바이오전기 및 바이오가스
- 화석연료 기반 리파이너리를 대체하는 지속가능 바이오리파이너리 공정 개발
- 생물전기화학반응기의 응용: 대사경로제어를 통한 유용물질 생산 및 재료-세포 바이오인터페이스 제어
- 미생물을 이용한 유용 자원회수
- 환경 및 의료용 바이오센서
- 난분해성 유기물질 분해 메커니즘 및 생분해성 고분자 개발
- 생물공정을 위한 바이오필름 제어기술 개발
Bioenergy & Bioprocess Engineering Lab
Bioenergy and Bioprocess Engineering (BBE) Lab focuses on developing sustainable bioprocess for energy and platform chemical production. We are investigating the control strategy of interface between live cell and material, and its novel application to bioelectricity and biorefinery process.
The main research topic of BBE is bioelectrochemical system (BES) which uses electrochemically active microorganism and biofilm on electrode as biocatalyst. BES has been rapidly expanded to hydrogen and biolectrosynthetic chemical production, desalination and bioremediation, all of which use bacterial electron transfer mechanism. Electrochemically active microbe uses electrode as terminal electron acceptor as well as attachment media, consequently form electrogenic biofilm on the surface. The electrogenic biofilm has strong interaction with surface, results in mechanical robustness against shear stress, and stability for continuous operation. Furthermore, biofilm/electrode interface could provide favorable environment to overcome activation barrier for bioprocess because the coupling of the electrochemical half-reaction of the reductant/oxidant is different from normal microbial conversion.
We are especially interested in developing novel bioprocess using these BES concepts to resolve the recent concerns on environment and energy depletion.
Sustainable biotechnology has been a research topic of global interest. Energy crisis has driven to develop renewable technologies such as wind, solar, tidal, biomass, and nuclear (if applicable). Although implementation of those energy platforms requires further technical innovation and dissemination, energy problem will be resolved in the future by compensation of various renewable energy sources, all of which use electricity as energy carrier. The next challenge will be a development of processing of chemical and materials in sustainable and environmental friendly way based on such renewable electricity. From this view point, biotechnology, electricity and sustainable bioprocess would be main keywords for the future research. We would like to contribute this area with our expertise, and help abate the global anxiety in a practical way.
Research Aims of BBE Lab
Bioelectrochemical system (Microbial fuel cell and microbial electrolysis cell) for electricity generation and platform chemical production
Redesign of metabolic pathway of electrochemically active strains
Develop recombinant strains with novel metabolic engineering to produce platform and intermediate chemicals
Autotrophic acetate and value-added chemical production from C1 gases (CO, CO2 and CH4)
Biodegradation of refractory materials such as polylactic acid (PLA), bisphenol A (BPA) and aromatic compounds
Redox biosensor for electrochemical detection of recalcitrant organic compounds and cellular activity
Investigation and regulation of bacterial interface on material surface by using Scanning Probe Microscope (SPM) and molecular techniques