About us

From a laboratory idea to a biotech start-up with a revolutionary microcarrier platform technology that has the potential to revolutionize conventional crop protection.

About us

From a laboratory idea to a biotech start-up with a revolutionary microcarrier platform technology that has the potential to revolutionize conventional crop protection.

About LigniLabs

LigniLabs was founded in June 2022 in Wiesbaden as a spin-off from basic research by researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research. LigniLabs aims to develop and offer novel products in the field of targeted drug delivery and biobased drug encapsulation.

The initial product of LigniLabs, which was developed on the basis of its own platform technology and is currently in the approval process, is ESCApe, a novel plant protection product against the grapevine disease ESCA, which was previously considered incurable.
The spin-off was funded from 2021 to early 2023 under the EXIST research transfer program of the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection and the European Social Fund for Germany.

The first scientific investigations into the development of lignin microcarriers and their efficacy against the grapevine disease ESCA began in 2015 in the research group of Prof. Dr. Wurm. Together with the Institute for Biotechnology and Drug Research at the University of Mainz (IBWF) and the Dienstleistungszentrum Ländlicher Raum (DLR), the good efficacy of the ESCApe microcarriers was confirmed in extensive laboratory and field trials.

About LigniLabs

Gewonnene Wettbewerbe

Our awards

Science4Life
Venture Cup
Idea-Phase
Winner 2023

Innovation price
Bio-regions Germany
Winner 2023

Bio-Innovation-Challenge
RWZ & biohelp
Winner 2022

Science4Life
Venture Cup
Businessplanphase
Winner 2023

Core team

Dr. Friedhelm Gauhl
Co-Founder & Management

Phytomedicine and regulatory expert,
Managing director and product approval

Prof. Dr Frederik Wurm
Co-Founder

Full professor of
Sustainable Polymer Chemistry
University of Twente (The Netherlands)
Research and development

Alexander Throm
Co-Founder & Management

M.A. Int. Management,
Management

IMG_4973

Andreas Jung
Viticulture Technician

Production and Customer-Service

Prof. Dr. Katharina Landfester
Co-Founder

Director MPI-P Mainz,
Research and development

Justin Grabow
Management

M.A. Business Psychology,
Management, Marketing,  HR

Yannick Fröder
Chemist

M.Sc. Biomedical chemistry

Technology and product development,
procurement and operations

Dr. Friedhelm Gauhl
Dr. Friedhelm GauhlCo-Founder & Management
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Phytomedicine and regulatory expert, management and regulatory affairs
Prof. Dr Frederik Wurm
Prof. Dr Frederik WurmCo-Founder
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Professor of Sustainable Polymer Chemistry, University of Twente (Netherlands), Research and Development
Alexander Throm
Alexander ThromCo-Founder & Management
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M.A. Int. Management, Management and Administration
Andreas Jung
Andreas JungViticulture Technician
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Production and Customer-Service
Prof. Dr. Katharina Landfester
Prof. Dr. Katharina LandfesterCo-Founder
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Director at MPI-P Mainz, Research and Development
Justin Grabow
Justin GrabowCo-Founder & Management
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M.A. Business Psychology, Management, Marketing, HR
Yannick Fröder
Yannick FröderChemist
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M. Sc. Biomedical Chemistry Technology Development, Purchasing and Operations
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Advisory board

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