ERC Proof of Concept grant for Frank Hollmann

Frank Hollmann (Biotechnology) has been awarded a Proof of Concept grant by the European Research Council. He is one of 55 ERC grant holders that are set to receive top-up funding this round to explore the commercial or innovation potential of the results of their EU-funded research.

The project Frank Hollmann will work on using this grant is called ‘BioAlkanes’. Bio-based fuels such as biodiesel are important elements of the quest to reduce the greenhouse gas emission of transportation. The project BioAlkanes aims to establish a new generation of biodiesel obtained from agricultural and household waste fats and oils. The new type of biodiesel will better resemble traditional diesel than existing biodiesels and will therefore be suitable as a ‘drop-in’ substitute for fossil fuels.

Frank Hollmann will use a novel biocatalyst discovered in green algae, which captures light to transform fatty wastes into combustible long-chain alkanes (diesel). With the BioAlkanes project, the TU Delft team aims to bring this groundbreaking new technology significantly closer to industrial applicability.

About the ERC and the PoC grant
The European Research Council, set up by the European Union in 2007, is the premiere European funding organisation for excellent frontier research. Every year, it selects and funds the very best, creative researchers of any nationality and age, to run projects in Europe. The ERC also strives to attract top researchers from anywhere in the world to come to work in Europe.

Proof of Concept grants, worth up to €150,000 each and open to ERC grant holders, can be used, for example, to establish intellectual property rights, investigate business opportunities or conduct technical validation.