Electrobiotechnology
Research Topics
- Development and engineering of electrobiorefineries
- Interfacing microbial and electrochemical synthesis for sustainble chemistry
- Energetics of electroactive microorganisms and microbial electrochemical systems
- Study of the microbial ecology of electroactive microbial cultures
- Development of electrobioreactors as well as new methods and protocols in the field
- Fancy ad hoc projects (related to microbiology and/ or electrochemistry)
Part of a vibrant international community
Team-leaders
Dr. Benjamin Korth
Deputy group leader and team-leader
Thermodynamics of electroactive microorganisms
Scientists
Dr. Katharina Röhring
(part-time)
Dr. Matthias Schmidt
Dr. Manish Kumar
Dr. Nate Woon Jie Ang
Dr. Nancy Hachicho (part-time)
PhD Students
Shabnam Pouresmaeil (DBFZ)
Yvonne Schößow
Aykut Kas
Alicia Mier-Jimenez (placed in lab of Dr. Bin Lai)
Lea Seibert
(jointly with Dr. Rohan Karande at Leipzig University)
Mansi Saich
in
SmartManure
John O. Gath
Bernadetha Efata Ferryka Sekar
Max Pohl
Jana Witolla (HS Landshut)
Technicians
Anne Kuchenbuch
Cornelia Dilßner
Undergraduates & Guests
Bente Dana Wagner (Leipzig University, Master student)
Susanne Stenz (Leipzig University, Master student)
Gustav Dönges (Leipzig University, Student assistant)
Kristof Reimann (Leipzig University, Student assistant)
Anne Charlotte Boddien (Leipzig University, Student assistant)
Index:
You could use our publication index for further requests.
2026 (6)
- Izadi, P., Pant, D., Harnisch, F. (2026):
Integrating electrochemical and microbial processes for CO2 conversion at scale
Curr. Opin. Chem. Eng. 51 , art. 101221 10.1016/j.coche.2025.101221 - Kas, A., Izadi, P., Lenz, C., Rohwerder, T., Krömer, J.O., Harnisch, F. (2026):
Exploring ectoine production from methanol, formate, and electrochemically produced formate by Methyloligella halotolerans
Eng. Life Sci. 26 (1), e70063 10.1002/elsc.70063 - Lehneis, R., Harnisch, F., Izadi, P. (2026):
A simulation-based case study on integrating photovoltaic energy supply with electrochemical CO2 reduction
Front. Energy Res. 14 , art. 1720659 10.3389/fenrg.2026.1720659 - Reinikovaite, V., Schmidt, M., Stirkė, A., Harnisch, F., Korth, B. (2026):
Graphite granules as microbial electrodes: Determining the relevant surface area
J. Environ. Chem. Eng. 14 (2), art. 121897 10.1016/j.jece.2026.121897 - Schröder, U., Harnisch, F., Heidrich, E., Ieropoulos, I.A., Logan, B.E., Nath, D., Pant, D., Patil, S.A., Puig, S., Ren, J., Rossi, R., Rotaru, A.-E., ter Heijne, A. (2026):
Waste to value: microbial electrochemical technologies for sustainable water, material, and energy cycles
Frontiers in Science 4 , art. 1688727 10.3389/fsci.2026.1688727 - Seibert, L., Chávez Morejón, M., Harnisch, F., Karande, R. (2026):
Biofunneling hydrogenated phenols into adipic acid using recombinant Pseudomonas taiwanensis VLB120
Cell Rep. Phys. Sci. 7 (2), art. 103069 10.1016/j.xcrp.2025.103069
2025 (9)
- Izadi, P., Korth, B., Harnisch, F. (2025):
On assessing the energy efficiency of bioelectrochemical systems for cathodic synthesis and remediation
J. Power Sources 652 , art. 237631 10.1016/j.jpowsour.2025.237631 - Izadi, P., Varhade, S., Schneider, C., Haus, P., Singh, C., Guruj, A., Pant, D., Harnisch, F. (2025):
Scaling up electrochemical CO2 reduction to formate through comparative reactor analysis
Ind. Chem. Mater. 10.1039/D5IM00056D - Kas, A., Izadi, P., Dinges, I., Stöckl, M., Harnisch, F. (2025):
Gas diffusion electrodes enable enhanced energy efficiency of electrochemical CO2 reduction in natural brine-inspired electrolytes
J. CO2 Util. 102 , art. 103268 10.1016/j.jcou.2025.103268 - Kuchenbuch, A., Al-Sbei, S., Rosa, L.F.M., Boto, S.T., Westermann, M., Rosenbaum, M.A., Harnisch, F. (2025):
Reducing oxygen stress and improving hydrogen availability boosts microbial electrosynthesis by Clostridium ljungdahlii
ChemSusChem 18 (21), e202501118 10.1002/cssc.202501118 - Kuchenbuch, A., Al-Sbei, S., Rosa, L.F.M., Boto, S.T., Westermann, M., Rosenbaum, M.A., Harnisch, F. (2025):
Cover Feature: Reducing oxygen stress and improving hydrogen availability boosts microbial electrosynthesis by Clostridium ljungdahlii (ChemSusChem 21/2025)
ChemSusChem 18 (21), e70262 10.1002/cssc.70262 - Pouresmaeil, S., Schliermann, T., Schmidt, M., Harnisch, F., Kretzschmar, J. (2025):
Biochar cathodes for bioelectrochemical systems: understanding the effect of material heterogeneity on performance for abiotic hydrogen evolution reaction
ChemElectroChem 12 (20), e202500008 10.1002/celc.202500008 - Röhring, K., Harnisch, F. (2025):
3D-printed add-on allows using commercially available rotating disc electrodes in tilted position
Electrochem. Commun. 170 , art. 107854 10.1016/j.elecom.2024.107854 - Tüllinghoff, A., Sträuber, H., Baleeiro, F.C.F., Aurich, A., Chávez Morejón, M., Meisel, K., Cyffka, K.-F., Harnisch, F., Bühler, K., Thrän, D. (2025):
Towards net zero land biotechnology: an assessment of biogenic feedstock potential for selected bioprocesses in Germany
Biotechnol. Biofuels Bioprod. 18 , art. 69 10.1186/s13068-025-02673-y - Ul, Z., Sulonen, M., Haus, P., Izadi, P., Baeza, J.A., Harnisch, F., Guisasola, A. (2025):
Evaluation of single chamber electrochemical reduction of CO2 to formate for application under biocompatible conditions
J. CO2 Util. 97 , art. 103136 10.1016/j.jcou.2025.103136
2024 (18)
- Angenent, L.T., Casini, I., Schröder, U., Harnisch, F., Molitor, B. (2024):
Electrical-energy storage into chemical-energy carriers by combining or integrating electrochemistry and biology
Energy Environ. Sci. 17 (11), 3682 - 3699 10.1039/D3EE01091K - Brandenburg, F., Röhring, K., Hunger, S., Kuchenbuch, A., Harnisch, F. (2024):
Elektrobioreaktoren für alle! – Technische Anforderungen und Innovationen [Electrobioreactors for everyone! - Technical requirements and innovations]
Biospektrum 30 (1), 120 - 122 10.1007/s12268-024-2094-0 - Cabezas, A., Cercado, B., Chouchane, H., Corton, E., Gomaa, O., Harnisch, F., Limson, J., Reginatto Spiller, V., Vargas, I. (2024):
Microbial electrochemistry and technology capacity building challenges—focus on Latin America & Caribbean and Africa
J. Solid State Electrochem. 28 (3-4), 1023 - 1039 10.1007/s10008-023-05761-x - Ceballos-Escalera, A., Pous, N., Korth, B., Harnisch, F., Balaguer, M.D., Puig, S. (2024):
Ex-situ electrochemical characterisation of fixed-bed denitrification biocathodes: A promising strategy to improve bioelectrochemical denitrification
Chemosphere 347 , art. 140699 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.140699 - da Rosa Braun, P.H., Kuchenbuch, A., Toselli, B., Rezwan, K., Harnisch, F., Wilhelm, M. (2024):
Influence of the 3D architecture and surface roughness of SiOC anodes on bioelectrochemical system performance: a comparative study of freeze-cast, 3D-printed, and tape-cast materials with uniform composition
Mater. Renew. Sustain. Energy 13 (1), 81 - 96 10.1007/s40243-023-00253-4 - Dai, S., Harnisch, F., Chávez Morejón, M., Keller, N.S., Korth, B., Vogt, C. (2024):
Microbial electricity-driven anaerobic phenol degradation in bioelectrochemical systems
Environ. Sci. Ecotechnol. 17 , art. 100307 10.1016/j.ese.2023.100307 - Digel, L., Mierzwa, M., Bonné, R., Zieger, S., Pavel, I., Ferapontova, E., Koren, K., Boesen, T., Harnisch, F., Marshall, I., Nielsen, L.P., Kuhn, A. (2024):
Cable bacteria skeletons as catalytically active electrodes
Angew. Chem.-Int. Edit. 63 (6), e202312647 10.1002/anie.202312647 - Dzofou Ngoumelah, D., Bjerkan Heggeset, T.M., Haugen, T., Sulheim, S., Wentzel, A., Harnisch, F., Kretzschmar, J. (2024):
Author correction: Effect of model methanogens on the electrochemical activity, stability, and microbial community structure of Geobacter spp. dominated biofilm anodes
npj Biofilms Microbiomes 10 , art. 41 10.1038/s41522-024-00513-9 - Dzofou Ngoumelah, D., Bjerkan Heggeset, T.M., Haugen, T., Sulheim, S., Wentzel, A., Harnisch, F., Kretzschmar, J. (2024):
Effect of model methanogens on the electrochemical activity, stability, and microbial community structure of Geobacter spp. dominated biofilm anodes
npj Biofilms Microbiomes 10 , art. 17 10.1038/s41522-024-00490-z - Harnisch, F., Deutzmann, J.S., Boto, S.T., Rosenbaum, M.A. (2024):
Microbial electrosynthesis: opportunities for microbial pure cultures
Trends Biotechnol. 42 (8), 1035 - 1047 10.1016/j.tibtech.2024.02.004 - Harnisch, F., ter Heijne, A., Paquete, C.M. (2024):
Editorial letter of VSI: European scent of ISMET
Bioelectrochemistry 160 , art. 108772 10.1016/j.bioelechem.2024.108772 - Izadi, P., Song, J., Singh, C., Pant, D., Harnisch, F. (2024):
Assessing the electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction performance requires more than reporting coulombic efficiency
Adv. Energy Sustain. Res. 5 (6), art. 2400031 10.1002/aesr.202400031 - Lehneis, R., Harnisch, F., Thrän, D. (2024):
Electricity production landscape of run-of-river power plants in Germany
Resources 13 (12), art. 174 10.3390/resources13120174 - Linssen, R., de Smit, S., Röhring, K., Harnisch, F., ter Heijne, A. (2024):
Revealing cellular (poly)sulphide storage in electrochemically active sulphide oxidising bacteria using rotating disc electrodes
Bioelectrochemistry 158 , art. 108710 10.1016/j.bioelechem.2024.108710 - Linssen, R., Harnisch, F., Ter, A., de Smit, S., Röhring, K. (2024):
Dataset accompanying "Revealing cellular (poly)sulphide storage in electrochemically active sulphide oxidising bacteria using rotating disc electrodes"
4TU.ResearchData 10.4121/a2279322-c37c-418e-8776-694f10f31d84.v1 - Rosa, L.F.M., Röhring, K., Harnisch, F. (2024):
Electrolysis of medium chain carboxylic acids to aviation fuel at technical scale
Fuel 356 , art. 129590 10.1016/j.fuel.2023.129590 - Saeidi, N., Lai, A., Harnisch, F., Sigmund, G. (2024):
A FAIR comparison of activated carbon, biochar, cyclodextrins, polymers, resins, and metal organic frameworks for the adsorption of per- and polyfluorinated substances
Chem. Eng. J. 498 , art. 155456 10.1016/j.cej.2024.155456 - ter Heijne, A., Harnisch, F. (2024):
Microbial electrodes
Nat. Rev. Method. Prim. 4 , art. 60 10.1038/s43586-024-00332-4
For a full list since 2012 please see hier klicken
- European Union (EU)
H2020-Project (HORIZON-MSCA-2023-DN-01)
"TRAMPOLINe-: A training programme to promote the industrial adoption of microbial electrochemical technologies"
Coordinator of the MSCA: Universidad Autonoma de Barcelona
Tandem-project with Wageningen University, The Netherlands (Prof. Dr. A. ter Heijne)
PI: F. Harnisch
Funding period: 11/2025 - 10/2028 - Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG)
Priority Programme SPP2240: eBiotech - 2nd phase
ESCAPE2.0: Establishing a scalable bioprocess reactor platform for cathodic obligate anaerobic electrobiosynthesis
PI: F. Harnisch
Partner und Coordinator for tandem project: Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research (Prof. Dr. M. A. Rosenbaum)
Funding period: 12/2024 - 11/2027
Link (external) - Saxon State Ministry of Science and Art (SMWK)
The Biohybrid Solar Power Plant (BISON)
PIs: F. Harnisch (WP7) and Benjamin Korth (WP8)
WP7: Development of Scalable Electrochemical Modules
WP8: Development of an electrochemical Configuration with low cost and high energy efficiency
Funding period: 06/2024 - 06/2026
Link - Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (BMBF)
"KMU-innovativ - KMUi-BÖ05: PHeaMOEZ - Plattform zum Hochdurchsatzscreening für elektrochemisch aktive Mikroorganismen und von Enzymen für die effiziente und langzeitstabile Biokatalyse; TP 3"
Coordinator: Sciospec Scientific Instruments GmbH
Partner: Leipzig University
PI: F. Harnisch
Funding period: 05/2023 - 04/2026
For closed third-party-funded projcts see here
Missing: Benjamin, Gustav and Mr. Elektron