Bioresource Engineering
The Bioresource Engineering group is a large, diverse, and ambitious team focused on four key areas, each outlined below. Our dynamic researchers are dedicated to finding solutions for some of society’s most pressing challenges. To ensure a sustainable future, it’s crucial to optimise the use of our biological resources. Chemical engineers play a central role in developing industrial processes that are safe, sustainable, and profitable.
Bioprocess engineering involves applying engineering principles to develop and understand processes that use biological systems, such as cells, enzymes, or biomass. Our focus is twofold: analysing bioprocesses through process modeling, control, and optimisation, as well as technical and economic feasibility assessments; and developing new components of bioprocesses, including designing and fabricating innovative bioreactors and creating new downstream processing techniques.
- Bioreactor design (Pott)
- Downstream processing (Goosen, Pott, Mapholi)
- Process optimization and sensitivity analysis (Görgens, Louw)
- Process modelling (Görgens), monitoring and control, including machine learning (Louw)
- Technical and economic feasibility assessments (Görgens, Chimphango, Mapholi, Goosen)
This research area focuses on the production of bioproducts from biological feedstocks, such as the extraction of specific products, or via biocatalytic (microbial and enzymatic) pathways. Our primary goal is to develop and optimise processes that leverage the unique features of biological feedstocks and biocatalysts to produce products across the entire bioproduct value pyramid—from low-value, high-volume products like biofuels to high-value, low-volume products such as pharmaceuticals, vaccines, and cultivated meat.
- Fine- and high-value chemicals (Görgens, Chimphango, Pott, Mapholi, Goosen)
- Bulk and platform chemicals (Görgens, Chimphango)
- Biomaterials (Görgens, Chimphango)
- Health-related biotechnology (Mapholi)
- Bioproducts for improved nutrition (Görgens, Chimphango, Goosen)
- Biofuels, including solid, liquid and gaseous (Görgens, Pott, Goosen)
This is a cross-cutting area that focuses on assessing the impacts of processes, technologies, and systems on the environment, economy, and society from conceptualisation to end-of-life stages. It involves applying life cycle thinking and a systems approach to evaluate impacts at different life phases using advanced life cycle and sustainability assessment tools. The emphasis is on applying green engineering and green chemistry principles in developing and implementing engineering eco-design and innovative strategies for climate change adaptation and mitigation, as well as for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
- Environmental impact assessments (Görgens, Chimphango)
- Environmental life cycle analysis (Görgens, Chimphango, Goosen)
- Water-Energy-Food Nexus (Görgens, Goosen)
- Resource flows (Chimphango)
- Integrated sustainability assessments (economic, environmental, social) (Görgens, Chimphango)
Bio-based resources encompass primary agricultural crops, aquaculture products, and the residues from harvesting or processing plant- and animal-based materials. These sources of renewable carbon are intended to be utilised in closed carbon cycles, where recycling end-of-life products back into new feedstocks is an integral part of the value chain.
- Biorefineries and integrated food-energy systems (Görgens, Chimphango, Goosen)
- Circular economy (Görgens, Chimphango)
- Waste and by-product treatment and valorization (Görgens, Chimphango, Pott, Goosen)
Researchers
Prof Annie Chimphango
Prof Neill Goosen
Prof Johann Görgens
Prof Tobi Louw
Mr Zwonaka Mapholi
Dr Mieke Nieder-Heitmann
Prof Robbie Pott
Prof Eugéne van Rensburg