About us

The ifb

The Institute for Bioanalytics, Environmental Toxicology, and Biotechnology Halle is a medium-sized private company that has been active for approximately 30 years in the fields of chemical and biological analytics, environmental biotechnology, and the fermentative production of biological active and valuable substances. Our interdisciplinary team of around ten biologists and engineers works on projects and leverages our extensively equipped laboratories and technical facilities, where skilled and dedicated employees are engaged.

The academic and scientific background of the company’s founder, Dr. Jürgen Hensel, combined with the long-standing collaboration of biologists, chemists, and biotechnologists, has been instrumental in enabling the IFB to undertake life science projects from the outset. Biological active substances such as Enniatin, Ascomycin, or Sinefungin are produced via fermentation, and specialized tetraether lipids are extracted from archaea.

Microbiological and chemical analytics are integral parts of the institute, serving as a foundation for successfully carrying out research and development projects in both environmental biotechnology and life sciences. The advanced technical equipment and high level of expertise have allowed us to continuously expand the commercial service analytics division. Accreditation under DIN EN ISO/IEC 17025 as a testing laboratory and designation as a drinking water testing facility were significant milestones in this development.

Our core competencies primarily lie in microbiology and ecotoxicity testing. Each year, our laboratories handle thousands of samples and analyze a wide range of chemical and microbiological parameters.

Through our website, we aim to provide an insight into our company profile and range of services and invite you to engage with us.

Business

Biological and Chemical Analytics

  • Drinking and wastewater analyses, including sampling (focus on microbiology)
  • Examination of cooling and process water in accordance with 42. BImSchV, including sampling
  • Ecotoxicological investigations
  • Declaration analysis in compliance with Deponieverordnung and Länderarbeitsgemeinschaft Abfall (LAGA)
  • Analytics under the Bioabfallverordnung for RAL quality assurance of compost, sewage sludge compost, and fermentation products, including sampling
  • Implementation of direct process testing according to Bioabfallverordnung
  • Special analyses based on customer specifications

Clostridium perfringens • E.coli/Coliforms • intestinal enterococci • total viable count in water and soil samples • yeasts and molds • Legionella species • microscopic examination of bacteria and fungi • Pseudomonas aeruginosa • Salmonella species • spore-forming, sulfite-reducing anaerobes (Clostridia) • metabolism-specific microorganism quantification (iron and manganese oxidizers, sulfate reducers, slime formers, etc.) • mold spores in indoor air.

Aerobic biodegradability of organic substances in an aqueous medium (Zahn-Wellens test) • Daphnia test • Dehydrogenase activity of soil organisms • Fish test • Fish bioassay • Luminescent bacteria test • Nitrification inhibition test • Pseudomonas cell proliferation inhibition test • Pseudomonas oxygen consumption inhibition test • Oxygen consumption rate in sewage sludge • Scenedesmus chlorophyll fluorescence test (algae test) • Scenedesmus cell proliferation inhibition test • Examination of aerobic degradability in a laboratory sewage treatment plant • Complete aerobic biodegradability of organic substances in an aqueous medium.

Filterable substances • AOX • Chloride • Chlorophyll-a content in surface water • Electrical conductivity • EOX • Loss on ignition • PAHs in solid and water samples • PCBs • Phosphate and total phosphate • pH value • Sulfate • Sulfide • TOC/DOC in aqueous samples • Organotin compounds by GC/MS

E.coli/Coliforms • Volatile organic acids • Foreign substance and stone content • Foreign substance surface sum • Loss on ignition • Viable seeds and sprouting plant parts (phytosanitary) • Nutrients (total and plant-available) • Plant compatibility • pH value • Bulk density • Degree of composting in self-heating test • Salmonella (epidemiological hygiene) • Salt content • Dry matter and water content

Environmental biotechnology

In the field of environmental biotechnology, the company is primarily engaged in wastewater treatment and especially in ecotoxicological bioassays.

In the microbiological laboratory and the environmental technology facility, specialized cultures are cultivated for the degradation of xenobiotics. The degradation of pollutants is monitored through analyses in the chemical laboratory. Standardized or task-specific bioassays enable a comprehensive assessment of environmental biotechnology-related issues.

Life science

A high-quality fermentation technology is available for the production of biological active ingredients. The focus is on the development of new substances and targets, as well as innovative processing technologies for active ingredients.

The interdisciplinary nature of the research has led to numerous projects developed in collaboration with various partners.

Consulting

  • Consulting on the implementation of the Drinking Water Ordinance
  • Support in approval procedures
  • Expert guidance on environmental biotechnology applications
  • Consulting on issues related to wastewater management
  • Consulting on hygiene requirements
  • Consulting on building biology issues, e.g., mold infestations

Research and Development

  • Conducting research and development projects in the fields of environmental biotechnology and biological substance production
  • Development, optimization, and implementation of biological and physicochemical techniques for wastewater and exhaust air treatment as well as soil remediation
  • Conducting laboratory and pilot plant studies for system design and preparation of approval documents
  • Provision of specialized microorganism cultures

The laboratory of IFB Halle GmbH is accredited by the German Accreditation Body (Deutsche Akkreditierungsstelle GmbH) according to DIN EN ISO/IEC 17025:2018-03 for a variety of parameters and is listed as a drinking water testing facility as well as a testing facility in the waste regulation area.

  • Accreditation according to DIN EN ISO/IEC 17025:2018-03; Certificate No.: D-PL-18174-01-00
  • Listed as a Drinking Water Testing Facility
  • Authorized to work with pathogens according to §19 of the Infection Protection Act (BseuchG)
  • Notification as a testing facility in the waste-regulated sector
  • Recognition as a testing laboratory of the Bundesgütegemeinschaft Kompost e.V. for RAL quality assurance of compost products and fermentation residues, Testing Laboratory BGK-No. 140

Equipment

Microbiological Laboratory

  • Sampling and drinking water analysis according to the Drinking Water Ordinance (Microbiology)
  • Sampling and analysis of cooling and process water according to the 42nd BImSchV
  • Degradation tests for organic substances (e.g., Zahn-Wellens test)
  • Characterization and quantification of microorganisms regarding their metabolic activity (iron, manganese oxidizers, sulfate reducers, etc.) to assess microbiologically induced corrosion damage (MIC)
  • Building biology studies (mold infestation, spore contamination of indoor air, etc.)
  • Ecotoxicological bio-tests (e.g., luminescent bacteria test, fish test, algae test, daphnia test)
  • Tests for classifying substances and mixtures into water hazard classes

Chemical Laboratory

In the chemical laboratory, we can carry out the following investigations and analyses, among others:
  • Sampling and analysis of drinking and wastewater
  • Chemical analysis of soil, air, waste, sewage sludge, and compost
  • Quality control and product monitoring
  • Declaration analyses
  • Specialized analysis using HPLC, GC, and GC-MS

Technics

  • Cultivation and provision of microbiological specialist cultures for the degradation of xenobiotics
  • Biomass production of extremophilic microorganisms
  • Fermentative production of active ingredients
  • Simulation of processes for pollutant degradation in laboratory and pilot scales
  • Activity tests in closed respirometers
  • Substrate testing for biogas plants (gas yield)
  • Process development and optimization
  • Degradation studies in laboratory-scale sewage treatment plants

References

Service Analytics

IFB Halle GmbH has been active as a service provider in the fields of bioanalytics, environmental toxicology, and biotechnology since 1992. We have built long-standing successful collaborations with many of our clients.

Each year, we handle several thousand orders and analyze a corresponding number of samples.

Our clients include private and municipal housing companies, wastewater associations, operators of sewage treatment plants, waste and wastewater producers, as well as other customers from both industrial and private sectors.

If you are interested in the services we offer and associated references, we welcome you to contact us, and we will surely find suitable examples from previous projects for similar tasks.

Contact

Institut für Bioanalytik, Umwelt-Toxikologie und Biotechnologie Halle GmbH
Schiepziger Straße 35
06120 Halle/Saale
Germany

Phone: 0345 555 820
Fax: 0345 555 8223
E-Mail: ifbhallegmbh@t-online.de