University Augsburg - Technical Biology

The Chair of Technical Biology led by Janina Bahnemann at the University of Augsburg conducts research at the interface of biotechnology, microfluidics, sensor technology, and additive manufacturing. The main focus lies on innovative “lab-on-a-chip” systems capable of miniaturizing and automating complex biological and medical processes within microscale environments. The overarching goal is to develop novel technologies for bioprocess development, cell culture engineering, and medical diagnostics, thereby enabling faster, more efficient, and resource-saving analytical methods.

A particular research focus is the development of microfluidic systems using advanced 3D-printing technologies. High-resolution additive manufacturing enables the flexible and customized fabrication of complex microstructures. The developed systems allow the precise handling and analysis of cells, particles, and minute liquid volumes, opening up new opportunities for applications in biotechnology, pharmaceutical research, and medicine.

The miniaturization of biotechnological processes furthermore offers enormous potential for nanobiotechnology. Microfluidic systems enable highly precise control of flow conditions, mass transport, and mixing processes on the microscale. This allows, for example, the reproducible and automated synthesis of nanoparticles — a major advantage for applications in drug delivery, diagnostics, and biopharmaceutical development. In particular, the combination of microfluidics with integrated microsensor technologies enables continuous real-time process monitoring and creates new opportunities for the controlled synthesis and characterization of nanoscale systems.

In addition, the chair develops novel biosensor systems for the real-time monitoring of biological processes. Using specific DNA-based recognition elements, biomolecules can be directly detected in cell cultures or medical samples. These technologies hold great promise for modern point-of-care diagnostics, where analyses can be performed directly at the patient’s side without the need for complex laboratory infrastructure.

A current research highlight is the “CELLenger” project, which focuses on the automated and miniaturized analysis of cell cultures under dynamic conditions. The aim is to develop intelligent platform technologies for the continuous monitoring of biotechnological processes and to support future applications in personalized medicine and biopharmaceutical manufacturing.

Through its interdisciplinary research approach, the group combines fundamental research with application-oriented technology development and contributes to the advancement of the next generation of miniaturized biotechnological and nanobiotechnological systems.