TUM’s Thomas Brück on turning algae into carbon solutions

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🗞️ Driving the news: Dr. Thomas Brück, head of the Werner Siemens Chair of Synthetic Biotechnology at the Technical University of Munich (TUM), is leading efforts to turn algae into scalable carbon solutions
• His team’s work aims to replace fossil-based materials and fuels by using algae to capture CO₂, produce bio-based products, and create construction materials that actively sequester carbon
• Brück envisions a future where engineered biology becomes a cornerstone of the circular economy

🔭 The context: Brück, who founded TUM’s AlgaeTec Center in 2015, has spent a decade pioneering algae biotechnology for carbon capture and sustainable production
• Partnering with industries like Airbus, his team has developed pilot systems converting algae oils into aviation fuels and construction materials
• Their cascading pond reactors achieve up to 97% CO₂-to-biomass conversion, a major milestone for biological carbon capture
• Despite technical success, Brück stresses that the lack of European scale-up facilities slows commercial deployment of biotech innovations

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: Algae-based CO₂ removal offers a biologically circular alternative to industrial carbon capture, transforming waste emissions from cement and steel plants into usable products such as biofuels, concrete binders, and bioplastics
• The technology has potential to reverse carbon flows, turning atmospheric CO₂ into durable goods
• Brück’s research also explores “construction biotechnology,” where algae or bacteria can bind CO₂ in cement and repair structural cracks—enabling buildings to act as long-term carbon sinks

⏭️ What's next: Brück and his team are advancing industrial partnerships to integrate algae systems directly at emission sources and deploying digital twins to predict scalability and process efficiency
• As the EU moves toward stricter decarbonization targets, algae systems could become key tools in low-carbon infrastructure and synthetic fuel production
• Brück argues that economic competitiveness will decide whether biological carbon technologies can rival fossil-based systems — a test of engineering innovation and market readiness

💬 One quote: “Reversing climate change is possible. It’s possible through a combination of engineering material worlds, designing new material elements, and particularly in the construction industry.” – Dr. Thomas Brück, Technical University of Munich

📈 One stat: The AlgaeTec Center achieves up to 97% conversion of CO₂ into biomass, one of the highest efficiencies recorded in biological carbon capture research

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