Current Research Actvities

The group is currently developing a new process for the magnetic separation of lamp phosphor components based on their chemical and physical properties. Newly synthesized magnetic beads are stabilized with different chemicals, are functionalized with peptides and tested and evaluated in comparison to commercially available magnetic beads. New peptides that selectively bind BAM, a blue fluorescent phosphor containing Europium, were identified using the phage display method. Previous experiments identified peptides for LAP and CAT particles containing Terbium and Cerium. The peptides will be chemically prepared and used for new biocollector functionalization experiments. The interaction of the peptides with the target particles will also be optimized.

Current projects can be found under the following link. In the PepMetal project new phage-bound peptides selective for special industry polymers were identified using phage surface display. In the Wipano project NORA, the heterologous expression of one interesting peptide is under progress. In the BMBF project PepTight new modular biohybrid filters for lanthanide ions are identified. In the SAB orientation project PepSortPlast a market validation of the technological idea to use luminescent polymer-binding peptides was carried out.

Press Releases

Rohstoffe aus der Lampe - Leschs Kosmos: Virales Recycling von Seltenen Erden aus Leuchtstofflampen

Es ist kein Geheimnis, dass die Rohstoff-Vorkommen auf der Erde begrenzt sind. Deshalb sind innovative Lö­sungen für das Recycling gefragt. Forscher­*innen des Helmholtz-Instituts Freiberg für Res­sourcen­tech­no­logie (HIF) am Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) haben ein Verfahren entwickelt, mit dem sie Seltene Erden aus Leuchtstofflampen zurückgewinnen können. Den Schlüssel zur gezielten Rückgewinnung der Seltenen Erden liefern Bakteriophagen: Viren, die vor allem Bakterien infizieren. Durch die Kombination mit einem speziellen magnetischen Trennungs­verfahren ist es den Freiberger Forscher­*innen ge­lungen, Rohstoffe gezielt aus Stoffgemischen herauszufiltern und wiederzu­verwenden. Dieses innovative Recycling interessiert auch die ZDF-Wissen­schaftsreihe Leschs Kosmos, die sich dem Thema in ihrer nächsten Folge am 6. September 2022 um 22:45 Uhr widmet.

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Recycle high-tech waste biologically: Innovative biotechnological process extracts gallium from industrial wastewa­ter

Gallium is a rare metal, but it is widely used in the high-tech industry. This extreme contrast makes recycling indispensable. Howe­ver, current recycling processes are costly and chemically polluted. Biotechnological approaches, therefore, rely on peptides, as they are able to bind metallic particles, minerals and metal ions in an environmentally friendly manner and to differentiate them in a targeted manner. Scientists at the Helmholtz Institute Freiberg for Resource Technology (HIF) at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf have now shown (DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.125366), that peptide-based material can be used for the extraction of gallium from production wastewa­ter caused by the semiconductor industry.

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‘Bio-fishing’ for rare earths: How protein fragments can be used for the recycling of electronics waste

Without important key elements such as copper or rare earth metals, the electronics industry would grind to a halt and electricity would cease to flow. End-of-life products like discarded energy-saving lamps, mobile phones and computers could provide an important secondary source for these valuable elements; howe­ver, they are difficult to reco­ver. Unless, that is, small protein fragments are used to ‘fish’ them out – a technique described by researchers at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) and the TU Bergakademie Freiberg in an article published in the specialist magazine Research in Microbiology.

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Anschub für die Karriere statt Ausstieg aus der Wissen­schaft - Das Lucy-Mensing-Programm am HZDR hilft Forscher­*innen bei familienbedingten Auszeiten

Frauen in leitenden Posi­tionen sind in Deutschland noch immer unterrepräsen­tier­t. Im wissen­schaftlichen Bereich gilt dies besonders für außeruni­versitäre For­schungs­einrich­tungen. Im Gleichstel­lungs­plan hat sich das HZDR deshalb dazu ­verpflichtet, den Frauenanteil in sämtlichen wissen­schaftlichen Posi­tionen zu erhöhen und der Abwande­rung von Frauen aus der Wissen­schaft, vor allem während der Postdoc-Phase, entgegenzuwirken. Vor diesem Hintergrund brachte der Vorstand in Kooperation mit der Gleichstel­lungs­beauftragten vor einigen Monaten das Lucy-Mensing-Programm auf den Weg. Der Fonds soll Forscher­*innen bei familienbedingten Auszeiten unterstützen. Dr. Franziska Lederer vom HIF und eine weitere Kollegin erhalten die Förde­rung.

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HZDR Innovation Contst 2020

2. Place for the topic Development of plastic-binding biomolecules for the detection and sorting of black plastics from Dr. Franziska Lederer, Dr. Nora Schönberger, Caroline Bobeth, Tina Kiesslich

Latest Publications

• Schönberger, N., Matys, S., Lederer, F.L., Braun, R., Pollmann, K. (2022)
  Ressourcentechnologie: neue Akzente durch gerichtete Evolution.
  Biospektrum 01/22. DOI: 10.1007/s12268-022-1691-z

• Schrader, M., Bobeth, C., Lederer, F.L. (2022)
  Quantification of peptide-bound particles: A phage mimicking approach via site-selective immobilization on glass.
  Journal ACS Omega 7, 187-197. (https://doi.org/10.1021/acsomega.1c04343)

• Taylor, C., Schönberger, N., Laníková, A., Patzschke, M., Drobot, B., Žídek, L., Lederer, F. (2021)
  Investigation of the structure and dynamics of Gallium binding to high-affinity peptides elucidated by multi-scale simulation, quantum chemistry, NMR and ITC.
  Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics 23, 8618. (DOI: 10.1039/d1cp00356a)

• Boelens, P.; Lei, Z.; Drobot, B.; Rudolph, M.; Li, Z.; Franzreb, M.; Eckert, K.; Lederer, F. (2021)
  High-gradient magnetic separation of compact fluorescent lamp phosphors: Elucidation of the removal dynamics in a rotary permanent magnet separator.
  Minerals 2021, 11, 1116. https://doi.org/10.3390/min11101116

• Schönberger, N., Matys, S., Lederer, F.L., Pollmann, K. (2021)
  Peptid-basierte Galliumfilter. Wie Maßgeschneiderte Biomoleküle das Recycling von High-Tech-Metallen ermöglichen.
  GIT Laborfachzeitschrift. https://bit.ly/GIT-Schoenberger

• Schönberger, N., Taylor, C., Schrader, M., Drobot, B., Matys, S., Lederer, F.L., Pollmann, K. (2021)
  Gallium-binding peptides as a tool for the sustainable treatment of industrial waste streams.
  Journal of Hazardous Materials 414. ( https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.1253669)

• Lederer, F.L., Pollmann, K. (2021)
  Electronic Waste: Recycling and Reprocessing for a Sustainable Future. Chapter 9. Recycling Technologies - Biohydrometallurgy.
  Invited book chapter. https://doi.org/10.1002/9783527816392.ch9

• Braun, R., Schönberger, N., Vinke, S., Lederer, F., Kalinowski, J., Pollmann, K. (2020)
  Application of Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) in phage displayed peptide selection to support the identification of arsenic-binding motifs.
  Viruses, 12 (12), 1361. (https://doi.org/10.3390/v12121361)

• Matys, S., Schönberger, N., Lederer, F.L., Pollmann, K. (2020)
  “Characterization of specifically metal-binding phage clones for selective recovery of cobalt and nickel” Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering, 8, 103636.
  DOI-Link: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jece.2019.103606
• Schönberger, N., Braun, R., Matys, S., Lederer, F.L., Lehmann, F., Flemming, K., Pollmann, K. (2019)
  „Chromatopanning for the identification of gallium binding peptides” Journal of Chromatography A, 1600, 158-166.
  DOI-Link: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chroma.2019.04.037
• Schönberger, N., Zeitler, C., Braun, R., Lederer, F.L., Matys, S., Pollmann, K. (2019)
  “Directed Evolution and Engineering of Gallium-Binding Phage Clones – A Preliminary Study” Biomimetics, 4, 35.
  DOI-Link: 10.3390/biomimetics4020035
• Lederer, F.L. (2019)
  "Bioangeln zum Recycling Seltener Erden – Selektive Trennung von Mineralen durch Phagen-gebundene Peptide", GIT Labor-Fachzeitschrift 2/2019, 27-29.
• Lederer, F.L., Braun, R., Schöne, L.M., Pollmann, K. (2019)
  "Identification of peptides as alternative recycling tools via phage surface display – How biology supports Geosciences", Minerals Engineering 132, 245-250.
  DOI-Link: 10.1016/j.mineng.2018.12.010
• Braun, R., Bachmann, S., Schönberger, N., Matys, S., Lederer, F., Pollmann, K. (2018)
  "Peptides as biosorbents – Promising tools for resource recovery", Research in Microbiology 169, 649-658.
  DOI-Link: 10.1016/j.resmic.2018.06.001

Current projects

• PepMetal: Development of a system for the design and synthesis of tailor-made peptides for the treatment of polymers prior to metal plating on plastics (Dr. Franziska Lederer/Dr. Katrin Pollmann, BMBF Bioökonomie-Ausschreibung Maßgeschneiderte Inhaltsstoffe 2, FKZ 031B0828A, 2020-2023)
• NORA: Establishment of a biological peptide expression system for gallium recovery and surface modification (Dr. Franziska Lederer, BMWi WIPANO Fördermaßnahme, 2020-2021)
• PepTight: Time for biology - peptides ensnare crucial raw materials: the "natural" separation of Lanthanides (Dr. Franziska Lederer, BMBF- Bioökonomie-Ausschreibung Biohybride Technologien, FKZ 031B1122A, 2021-2024)
• PepSortPlast: Polymer-binding peptides for rapid optical identification of polymer grades (Dr. Franziska Lederer, SAB Validierungsvorhaben, FKZ: 100544075, 2021; Financed by the European Regional Development Fund as well as by tax funds on the basis of the budget adopted by the Saxon State Parliament.)