Partnership profile

HAWK University of Applied Sciences and Arts Hildesheim/Holzminden/Göttingen is one of the leading institutions in German plasma research. In order to further advance the research work and to immediately transform it into practical solutions, the university was able to win the BMBF’s FH-Impuls Competition in 2017 along with ten other German universities and initiated the Plasma for Life partnership in Göttingen. Whether in wound treatment, hospital hygiene or plastics treatment in the pharmaceutical sector – Plasma for Life develops socially relevant solutions that benefit people.

About a dozen companies from the region are involved in the Plasma for Life partnership, including international groups such as Sartorius Stedim Biotech, but also medium-sized companies such as Cinogy GmbH. In addition, there are research institutions such as the Fraunhofer IST Application Center for Plasma and Photonics and the University of Göttingen Clinic. As different as the stakeholders are, the common goal is clear: the aim is to research the fields of application for plasma and laser technologies in the life sciences such as medicine, biotechnology and environmental technology, and to transfer the results directly into solutions which are relevant to society. 

To this end, minds from the science and industry sectors are working closely together, the result being products based on the latest research results. On the other hand, the direct application relevance provided by the companies ensures proximity to the needs of markets and people. This not only advances the participating companies, but also has a positive effect on the entire region, which, thanks to Plasma for Life, is to become a competence centre for applied plasma and laser technology in the long term.

But what exactly is plasma and how can it be used?

The term usually brings blood plasma to mind. But Plasma for Life is about something else from the world of physics: plasma is the fourth state of matter after solid, liquid and gas. Dr Bernd Schieche, cluster manager of Plasma for Life, explains this very clearly: “Lightning bolts are nothing but plasma. So in plasma research, we essentially tame lightning and use it to improve the properties of various surfaces and substances.”

Wide range of applications

For example plastic: if plastic surfaces such as silicones or polymers are treated with flashes of plasma, this can change their properties, such as roughness. Afterwards, surfaces that do not react to other pretreatment methods can be glued or dyed without any problems. And all this without any health risks: unlike some industrial adhesives for silicones and polymers, plasma has no harmful side effects.

Plasma is also successfully used in medicine. Plasma treatment can accelerate the healing of germ-contaminated wounds, for instance. Together with the Clinic for Trauma Surgery, Orthopaedics and Plastic Surgery at the University of Göttingen Clinic and selected partner companies, Plasma for Life develops appropriate applications, for example for wound treatment following operations. Dermatological plasma products are a real blessing for diabetics, who often suffer from poorly healing wounds on their legs and feet. Thanks to the plasma treatment, even stubborn open spots close quickly and for good, thus allowing many surgical interventions or even amputations to be avoided.

Another central field of application is hygiene: they are testing, for example, how the germicidal effect of plasma can be used with the help of special air purifiers. These can also be installed in exhaust hoods, which will rid the ambient air of germs and odours – an extremely useful application for canteen kitchens and hospitals, for example.

“The effect of plasma results from the interaction of different elements, similar to a cocktail,” explains Dr Bernd Schieche. “We generate plasma at atmospheric pressure, which generates, among other things, UV radiation, electric fields and reactive species. If this mix hits the skin, for instance, the pH value of the treated skin area also decreases, the blood circulation is increased and germs are killed. This speeds up the healing of wounds.”

Valuable impetus

Product development is not only carried out in the partner companies involved, by the way: spin-offs have already been established from the partnership. One of these young companies has developed a plasma lice comb together with HAWK, with marketing of the comb soon to be implemented. The two new courses of study – plasma and laser technology and medical engineering – at HAWK are further impulses that have arisen from the partnership. Plasma for Life therefore not only drives the research and development of new useful products but has also laid the groundwork for the tailored training of highly qualified young scientists.