iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

kimjanssen.bsky.social @kimjanssen.bsky.social · 11/06/2026

Just found this super cute article on how cyanobacterial metabolism is regulated. It is addressed to kids, but I enjoyed reading it big time! We should probably write a popular science version for all of our papers! 🦠 kids.frontiersin.org/articles/10....

kids.frontiersin.org

How Does Photosynthesis Wake up in the Morning?

In photosynthesis, plants use energy from sunlight to turn carbon from CO2 in the air into a solid form of carbon that can build the plant’s body. Photosynthesis consists of two portions: the reaction...

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kimjanssen.bsky.social @kimjanssen.bsky.social · 28/05/2026

Isoprene is used by the petrochemical industry for the production of synthetic rubber, but it can also be converted to aviation fuel precursors. In our @horizoneu.bsky.social project #alfafuels, we are working on a sustainable aviation fuel produced by cyanobacteria from CO2. #scicommUU26

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kimjanssen.bsky.social @kimjanssen.bsky.social · 28/05/2026

Isoprene is a compound that is naturally produced by many plants using an enzyme called isoprene synthase. To engineer cyanobacteria to produce isoprene, we use the isoprene synthase gene from Eucalyptus in cyanobacteria. This serves as an instruction for the bacteria to make isoprene. #scicommUU26

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kimjanssen.bsky.social @kimjanssen.bsky.social · 28/05/2026

At @uu.se we are trying to use cyanobacteria as model organisms for the production of various compounds. Cyanobacteria use CO2 from the atmosphere to produce biomass and a variety of organic compounds. We are engineering them to channel atmospheric carbon towards desired products. #scicommUU26

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kimjanssen.bsky.social @kimjanssen.bsky.social · 28/05/2026

Another way to use nature's potential for biotech: 2) We find species that can use a certain substrate (CO, CO2) or produce a valuable compound, but they are not suitable for biotech (like trees). So we try to implement their metabolic pathways into model species, like certain bacteria. #scicommUU26

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kimjanssen.bsky.social @kimjanssen.bsky.social · 28/05/2026

There are different ways to use nature's potential for biotech: 1) We can search for and isolate new species with desirable traits from the environment. For example organisms that are using CO2 or pollutants to grow or that already produce a compound we are interested in. #scicommUU2026

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kimjanssen.bsky.social @kimjanssen.bsky.social · 28/05/2026

In biotechnology we want to harness nature's potential to produce compounds that we need. Luckily nature has already found a way to produce nearly any compound we can imagine. So we try to use that potential for biotechnological production, instead of fossil fuels as resources. #scicommUU26

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kimjanssen.bsky.social @kimjanssen.bsky.social · 28/05/2026

In line with #scicommUU2026 I am happy to share some parts of my research here! As researchers we spend so much of our time and (public) resources to do this work. but most of it never reaches out of our small academic bubble. So let's try to make our research accessible to anyone!

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