Carl Johan Franzén

Professor,
Head of Division of Industrial Biotechnology

+46317723808 Find me http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7540-2002

Carl Johan Franzén is Professor in Bioreaction Engineering. He is Head of the Division of Industrial Biotechnology, member of the Faculty Senate at Chalmers, and member of the undergraduate education committee at the BIO department.

His research deals with development of robust bioprocesses for production of biobased fuels, chemicals, and microbial cultures. The focus is on the interplay between process conditions and microbial physiology. The main application is advanced fed-batch methodology for bioethanol production from lignocellulosic raw materials, using dynamic mathematical models and physiologically based control as tools. The methods are also applied to biobased production of chemicals, such as lactic acid using thermophilic bacteria. He also collaborates with industry to investigate how microbial production processes can be designed and modulated to produce robust starter cultures (lactic acid bacteria) and probiotics (bifidobacteria). His research leads to reduced emissions of carbon dioxide through better utilization of raw materials and agricultural and forestry residues for production of important renewable biofuels, chemicals and microorganisms.

Carl Johan Franzén’s teaching is focused on student-centered learning activities within biobased production as well as ethics in research and engineering within biotechnology. He is course responsible, examiner, and one of two main lecturers in the MSc courses KBT090 Industrial Biotechnology and BBT010 Ethics in biotechnology. He is responsible for the laboratory course and teaches quantitative analysis of bioreactors via simulation exercises and assignments in the BSc course KKR091 Bioreaction Engineering. Since the 1990’s, he has used computer simulation assignments to help students actively learn complex problem solving and to understand bioreactor dynamics and microbial physiology. Analysis of case studies, seminar discussions, and formative assessment of group assignments via both teacher and peer response, are all integrated parts of BBT010.

He contributes to the international PhD course ”Industrial Biotechnology for lignocellulose based processes” which is given by the Industrial biotechnology division every second year.

During 2001-2016 he was Head of Programme for the integrated MScEng program in Bioengineering (TKBIO), with responsibility for economy, pedagogical development, quality assessment and strategic development of the program. This also included responsibility for the three-year BSc degree in Bioengineering and for the two-year international master program in Biotechnology (MPBIO) leading to the MSc degree in Bioengineering.

Page manager Published: Wed 02 Feb 2022.