Oil spills occur time and again in the world's oceans with serious consequences for the entire ecosystem. But here, too, nature has microbial helpers at the ready that can contain the spread of the oil slick and thus the environmental pollution. These are marine bacteria that feed on crude oil. A research team led by the University of Bonn has now taken a closer look at such a marine bacterium. RWTH Aachen University, HHU Düsseldorf and the Jülich Research Centre were involved in the study.

The development and production of alternative proteins is becoming increasingly urgent in view of the growing world population and the increasing strain on natural resources caused by the growing consumption of animal-based foods. These are foods or ingredients based on plants, cell cultivation and fermentation that have a comparable protein content and can therefore replace animal products such as meat and milk.

With LIFE (L'Instrument Financier pour l'Environnement), the European Union launched a programme in 1992 to promote innovation in environmental, nature and climate protection. Since then, more than 6,000 projects have received financial support across the EU, including projects in the bioeconomy sector. The starting signal for this year's funding round for the current LIFE period, which began in 2021 and runs until 2027, was given at the end of April.

Forests are both a carbon sink and a source of raw materials. However, the condition of trees has not only deteriorated in Germany. Aridity, drought and pests as well as large-scale deforestation in the tropics are jeopardising ecosystems worldwide and fuelling global warming. On 29 April 2025, the European Space Agency (ESA) launched BIOMASS, a satellite designed to monitor the Earth's green lungs.

The intensive use of agricultural land has placed a heavy burden on soils in north-west Europe. In many regions, the humus content is too low. As a result, soils are less able to store water, which increases the risk of erosion and flooding - and jeopardises food security in the long term.

PET (polyethylene terephthalate) is a plastic based on fossil raw materials such as crude oil or natural gas. Although pure PET is fully recyclable, it often ends up in the environment or is incinerated. Biochemists Dr Christian Sonnendecker and Dr Ronny Frank are focusing instead on a biological recycling process using PHL7.

Packaging, whether plastic or paper, is an integral part of everyday life, but ends up in the bin after a short time. This wastes valuable resources. Instead of cutting down trees to obtain cellulose for the packaging industry, PAPACKS relies on industrial hemp. Founded in 2013, the Cologne-based company has now established its own supply chain for certified industrial hemp with Ukrainian Hemp, thereby securing access to the renewable raw material on an industrial scale.