Minister Clemens Hoch Presents Two Funding Decisions in Kaiserslautern

State Government Supports Preliminary Research at the Fraunhofer ITWM: MaTBiZ und QUIP

Press Release / March 17, 2023

For the state of Rhineland-Palatinate, biotechnology and quantum computing are two important research priorities, which is why Science Minister Clemens Hoch brought two funding decisions to Kaiserslautern. The Quantum Initiative Rhineland-Palatinate (QUIP) and the MaTBiZ project at the Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Mathematics ITWM are supported.

The separation of cells is of great importance for many processes in the biotechnological and pharmaceutical sector. At the same time, the changed raw material situation and as well as the necessary saving of energy and resources pose enormous challenges to companies. In order to meet both factors, the Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Mathematics ITWM is focusing on new technologies and methods with the MaTBiZ project. The state of Rhineland-Palatinate is funding the project with 390,000 euros.

Further Strengthening Biotechnology in Rhineland-Palatinate

With the MaTBiZ project (microstructure design and additive manufacturing of a chromatography column for the separation of biological cells), the Fraunhofer ITWM wants to develop technologies and methods that enable filter media for the targeted separation of living cells. To this end, different departments of the institute are collaborating in the Simulation- and Software-based Innovation Performance Center. »Rhineland-Palatinate has become an innovation driver for biotechnology,« said Clemens Hoch, Minister of Science and Health of Rhineland-Palatinate. »With MaTBiZ, we are funding basic research that is of enormous importance to companies in the state. We are very proud that this biotechnology in Germany is receiving many essential impulses from our state.«

Research for the Post-fossil Age

The director of Fraunhofer ITWM, Prof. Dr. Anita Schöbel, emphasizes the importance of MaTBiZ for a fundamental change in the economy: »If we want to do without fossil fuels, we must make biogenic materials available in sufficient quantity and purity to enable efficient industrial use. Some of these materials – which include cellulose, for example - can be extracted from plants. More complex materials, such as proteins and small natural compounds like amino acids, are obtained by culturing a large number of cells.« Industry now needs efficient cell sorting methods to identify and sort out the cells with the best properties for production. »This is what we are contributing to with our research.«

Demonstrator for Chromatography Column

Dr. Konrad Steiner, head of department at Fraunhofer ITWM and managing director of the Center of Excellence Simulation- and Software-based Innovation, explains the technical details: »In our previous research projects, we have developed and investigated the attachment of cells to a functionalized surface in deterministic and stochastic microstructures by means of simulations. In MaTBiZ, we build on these findings to produce these fine filter structures using a special printing technique – 3D laser lithography.«

The next step for Merck is to test the separation performance of these millimeter-sized complex microstructures. »This means we develop a demonstrator for a chromatography column that is optimally designed in advance in the computer for specific separation tasks. In this way, we enable the gentle separation of biological substances.«

Promotion of the Rhineland-Palatinate Quip Quantum Initiative

The Minister of Science used his visit to Kaiserslautern to hand over another notification, because the state of Rhineland-Palatinate not only promotes biotechnology, but quantum computing is also an important research focus. In order to network quantum research more closely, the universities in Kaiserslautern and Mainz are now joining forces with the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI) and the Fraunhofer ITWM to form the Rhineland-Palatinate Quantum Initiative, or QUIP for short. The Rhineland-Palatinate Ministry of Science is funding QUIP for three years with around 1.2 million euros.

The aim of the initiative is also to train young scientists in quantum technologies in a targeted manner and to make them fit for this new economic field.

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