TUM's Thomas Brück on turning algae into carbon capture solutions

Thomas Brück, PhD, head of the Werner Siemens Chair of Synthetic Biotechnology at the Technical University of Munich (TUM), is pioneering the use of algae to capture carbon dioxide and produce sustainable alternatives to fossil fuels, including jet fuel. With a background spanning the UK, US, and Germany, Brück combines academic research and industry experience to develop scalable, biology-based solutions for a net-zero economy. His work, supported by significant funding from the Werner Siemens Foundation, focuses on engineering smarter materials and rethinking the construction industry’s role in climate change mitigation. Brück’s interest in algae began during postdoctoral research on marine microorganisms and their biosynthetic pathways. Recognizing algae’s potential to remediate CO2 and generate valuable microbial oils, he founded the AlgaeTec Center at TUM in 2015. This unique facility enables flexible, scalable algae cultivation under realistic climate conditions, developed in collaboration with industry partners like Airbus, which is interested in converting algae-based oils into aviation fuels. Over the