Infrastructure & Labs

Contact person: Morgan Emily Uland.

A central focus of our research program is Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA). Our work emphasizes the optimization of material and energy resources, the development of digital twins (mechanistic, hybrid, and AI-driven modelling), bioprocess development (upstream and downstream), and intelligent monitoring systems for bioprocesses (including fault diagnosis, soft-sensor development, and sensor-fusion strategies).

Our Bioprocess Engineering Laboratory is equipped with state-of-the-art technologies, including process units for the pretreatment of solids and liquids as well as lab-scale biomass production (phototrophic and heterotrophic), complemented by high-resolution analytical instrumentation.

Cultivation & Bioprocess Systems

• Indoor Vertical Farming Units for controlled hydroponic plant cultivation and environmental modulation experiments
• Lab-scale stirred bioreactors (0.25–10 L) for heterotrophic microbial cultivation
• Lab-scale (2 L) and high-throughput parallel photobioreactors (10–25 mL) for phototrophic organism screening and process optimization

Analytical Instrumentation

• Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) for volatile compound profiling and online analysis of bioreactor exhaust
• High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) for quantification of non-volatile metabolites
• Near-Infrared (NIR) Spectroscopy for rapid compositional analysis of macronutrients in solids and biomass slurries
• Pulsed Amplitude Modulation (PAM) Fluorometer for assessing photosynthetic performance
• HACH-Lange Photometer for rapid chemical and nutrient assays

Upstream Processing Infrastructure

• Bead mill for cell disruption
• Drying oven
• Class II sterile workbench
• Laboratory autoclave for sterilization

Downstream Processing Infrastructure

• Filtration systems
• Freeze dryer (lyophilizer)
• Thermoshaker for controlled mixing and incubation
• Multiple centrifuges for biomass separation and sample preparation

Contact person: Dr.-Ing. Felix Krujatz.

To explore opportunities for coupling the production of different forms of biomass (e.g., insects, plants, algae, and fish) with a view toward potential industrial applications, the Circular Bioconversion and Bioeconomy Facility is currently being established at TU Chemnitz. This technology platform enables comprehensive monitoring and control of all input and output streams associated with biomass production.

The facility is specifically designed and equipped with experimental research infrastructure at the pilot-plant scale, including:

• Climate-controlled chambers for the controlled production of biomass (primarily insects, fungi, and plants),
• Indoor vertical farming units for controlled hydroponic plant cultivation and environmental modulation experiments,
• Pilot-scale photobioreactor systems (2 × 100 L) for the cultivation of microalgae,
• A pulsed electric field (PEF) system for the treatment of solids and liquids,
• Technical equipment for the mechanical processing of process waters.

Contact person: Thomas Göhrt.

The professorship has a variety of experimental setups and equipment. These include, for example:

• Small workshop for prototype construction (growth chambers, bioreactors)
• 3D printer (Creality CR10S)
• Cart-pendulum system (Quanser)
• Rotary pendulum (Quanser)
• Magnetic levitation system (Quanser)
• Sensor vehicle
• Laboratory experiments for two-tank systems, temperature control, and water level control

Contact person: Alexander Kobelski.

The professorship has several powerful computing resources at its disposal for working on tasks in the fields of artificial intelligence, image processing, and model predictive control. These include:

• A database connected to an IoT infrastructure for a standardized communication interface
• High-performance hardware that can be used for data analysis, optimization, computer vision, and various AI applications
• Access to industry-standard software such as Matlab and AutoCAD