Interview winners HHU ideas competition 2024
The Center for Entrepreneurship (CEDUS) organized the HHU Idea Competition and awarded University teams for innovative business ideas. In the category “students” the second prize was awarded to three students of the study program Quantitative Biology, a joint degree program between HHU and UzK and supported by CEPLAS. The team led by Andre Potthoff, Florian Tschuschke, Elisaveta Lobkis has developed the idea to use ice nucleation proteins to freeze food. They also received the prize from the Heine Center for Sustainable Development for the most sustainable idea. In an interview they speak about their winning idea and what the future hold for their project.
Congratulations on winning the second prize of the HHU ideas competition this year. Can you tell us more about your winning idea – Snow Seed?
With our idea SnowSeed, we aim to improve the efficiency of the food industry and food logistics through the use of ice nucleation proteins (INPs). These proteins are able to freeze food at higher subzero temperatures and improve food quality through better control of ice nucleation and crystallisation. The usage of INPs could also lead to reduced CO2 emissions and significant cost savings in the cold chain due to decreased energy expenditure.
Our idea aims to transform the responsible genes into Bacillus, or another GRAS (generally regarded as safe) microbe for large-scale production. Ice nucleation proteins are naturally present in several gram-negative bacteria, serving as a pathogenic mechanism to induce frost damage in plants at temperatures closer to zero. These proteins facilitate the alignment of water molecules into an ordered configuration that is essential for ice formation.
"The idea we came up with for our business also seemed promising being an actual start-up as well as considering sustainability. "
Why did you decide to enter the competition, who/what motivated your decision?
We knew that last year's idea from Quantitative Biology students had been awarded first place at the CEDUS idea competition which inspired us to participate in the competition with our own idea. We developed SnowSeed as part of the "Microbial Ecology" module conducted by Prof. Dr. Bart Thomma and Prof. Filipe Cabreiro, where we were tasked to design a business around microbes. The idea we came up with for our business also seemed promising being an actual start-up as well as considering sustainability. Therefore, writing the application was a small step from there - and we thought it was worth the try.
"During our study in QuantBio we were constantly engaged to generate ideas and think creatively. "
In what ways was the study program Quantitative Biology instrumental in helping you prepare for this innovative business idea?
During our study in QuantBio we were constantly engaged to generate ideas and think creatively. The module "Microbial Ecology" initiated our work on this project based on microorganisms in which we not only explored several research niches but also considered the business and profitability aspects. Other modules, such as “Biotechnology and Synthetic Biology” and “Molecular Mechanisms of the Cell” provided us with a solid foundation on how bacteria can be utilised and applied for larger-scale production of desired products.
"Potentially, we will be able to pursue SnowSeed as a Bachelor's or Master's thesis..."
What does the future hold for your Snow Seed project and, of course, for you professionally? Have you thought about what to do after your Bachelor's degree in QuantBio?
The SnowSeed project has become increasingly dear to us and we are very passionate about our idea. The diverse schedule of QuantBio allowed us to learn and get a lot of experience, yet we are just at the beginning of our idea and have not been able to bring the idea of SnowSeed into reality. Potentially, we will be able to pursue SnowSeed as a Bachelor's or Master's thesis, although our interests range widely from molecular and synthetic biology to data science and machine learning. Maybe, however, these diverse interests will aid us in tackling the upcoming challenges by providing a wide array of perspectives and approaches, thereby enhancing our chances.
