‘Chemistry + modern biotechnology + data science = innovative chemistry’

Francke, a biochemist by training, is Professor of Biobased Innovations at HAN University of Applied Sciences. In this role, he brings together extensive experience in biocatalysis, data science, and the application of microbial genomics in biotechnology.

According to Francke, the transition away from petroleum calls for new chemical processes. ‘No more oil, but building from natural polymers using enzymes. Together with several research groups and industry partners, we are investigating whether this is economically viable by making smart use of data.’

‘Thanks to AlphaFold, an AI model capable of predicting protein structures, we can, for instance, rationally design enzymes and test their functionality at remarkable speed,’ Francke emphasises. ‘A test that takes a year in the laboratory can be done on a computer in an hour. For chemistry, this is a tremendous opportunity to accelerate research.’