Prof. Dr. Wenwen Fang appointed as professor at the TUM Campus Straubing
The Straubing campus of the Technical University of Munich (TUM) is gaining high-level expertise in the field of materials science: Prof. Dr. Wenwen Fang (36) has been teaching and conducting research in biotechnology and sustainability at the TUM Campus Straubing (TUMCS) since the beginning of September. Prof. Fang heads the professorship for particle and fiber technology for bio-based materials there. The young scientist has already received prestigious EU start-up funding for her research.
Prof. Dr. Wenwen Fang has been teaching and conducting research at the TUM Campus Straubing since the beginning of September. (Photo: Jan Winter/TUM)
Wenwen Fang is moving to Straubing from Aalto University in Helsinki. The native of China already completed her doctorate in Finland from 2014 to 2018. After her doctorate, Fang worked as a postdoc at the University of Freiburg, among other places, before returning to the Finnish capital in 2020. Now Fang is following the call of the Technical University of Munich.
Using cellulose as a biomaterial
The particle and fiber technology for bio-based materials with a focus on the integration of biogenic materials has a high innovation potential for both basic research and industrial application. The professorship focuses on the integration of biogenic materials to produce sustainable particles and fibers. One focus is on the use of cellulose and proteins.
Prof. Fang recently received an EU Starting Grant, known as the ERC Starting Grant, for this cellulose research. The European Research Council (ERC) promotes pioneering research and enjoys an excellent reputation in the research community. The prestigious ERC Starting Grants are aimed at scientists at the beginning of their careers and are endowed with up to 1.5 million euros.
Cellulose is the most abundant biopolymer on earth and offers a wide range of possible applications, for example as a packaging material or as a textile. However, since cellulose does not melt, it has so far only been possible to use it to a limited extent in mass production. This is due to molecular compounds in the raw material: at temperatures between 240 and 350 degrees Celsius, the This is where Prof. Fang comes in: she wants to use infrared lasers to break up the chemical bonds using photon energy. The researcher hopes that this will not only provide insights into cellulose and a new process for processing the promising, sustainable raw material, but also fundamental knowledge about supramolecular structures and dynamics in biomaterials.
Prof. Fang is looking forward to her new role in Straubing. “The TUMCS, with its interdisciplinary research, offers a great foundation for me and my research. My work focuses on the conversion of renewable raw materials and waste streams into high-performance fibers, and thus directly supports the mission of the TUMCS to promote a circular economy,” says Prof. Fang. “By developing innovative spinning technologies, we aim to produce bio-based fibers that can compete with synthetic alternatives. In this way, we are addressing environmental issues such as microplastic pollution caused by the textile industry.”
“Expanding our range of study courses”
Prof. Volker Sieber, rector of the TUM Campus Straubing, sees the appointment of Prof. Fang as a great enrichment for the university location Straubing. “With Wenwen Fang, we have gained an outstanding scientist for the TUMCS. „Her expertise will further increase the competences in materials science and engineering research at the TUMCS, in addition to expanding our range of courses in this future-oriented field.“