Cees Haringa

Dr. Cees Haringa is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biotechnology at Delft University of Technology, where he leads the Cees Haringa Group within the Bioprocess Engineering section. His research is centered on understanding and optimizing large-scale industrial fermentation processes from the microbial perspective, integrating computational fluid dynamics (CFD), metabolic modeling, and scale-down strategies.

Education:

• PhD (with honors) in Chemical Engineering, Delft University of Technology – Dissertation on CFD simulation of industrial fermentation systems
• MSc in Chemical Engineering, Delft University of Technology
• BSc in Chemical Engineering, Delft University of Technology

Research Interests:

Haringa’s group explores how microorganisms perceive and respond to environmental fluctuations in large-scale bioreactors. His team develops digital twins of industrial fermentations using CFD, coarse-grained models, and experimental scale-down simulators. Key themes include:

• Microbial lifelines and gradient response
• CFD-based metabolic modeling
• Scale-down and scale-up strategies
• Data-driven bioprocess optimization
• Sustainable bioprocess engineering

Scientific Contributions:

His recent publications (2022–2025) span a wide range of topics including syngas fermentation, Penicillium chrysogenum metabolism under oxygen fluctuations, dynamic compartment modeling, and machine learning for bioreactor regime classification. These works emphasize bridging mechanistic understanding with industrial application.

Awards and Recognition:

• DECHEMA Industrial Bioprocess Award – Inaugural recipient for PhD research

Teaching and Mentorship:

Dr. Haringa is actively involved in curriculum development and teaching at TU Delft, offering courses such as:

• Modelling and Computation for Life Science & Technology
• Thermodynamics of Bioprocesses
• Artificial Intelligence in (Bio-)Chemical Engineering
• Python Programming for Life Sciences

He currently supervises 7 PhD students and has mentored numerous MSc and BSc students in bioprocess modeling and fermentation research.

Collaborations and Outreach:

Haringa actively seeks both academic and industrial collaborations to address real-world challenges in bioprocess development. His group is open to joint research, student projects, and knowledge exchange in sustainability, digital twins, and bioprocess innovation.