Bioeconomy News

The combined cultivation of alfalfa and ribwort plantain doubles yields and reduces nitrate levels in the soil. This is shown by a study conducted in collaboration with the Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research.

Researchers at Chemnitz University of Technology, Leipzig University and the Fraunhofer Institute FEP are developing microalgae as ‘cell factories’ that can produce the important basic chemical glycolate from carbon dioxide and sunlight.

Research into sustainable and future-proof agriculture using artificial intelligence (AI) is the focus of the newly opened Living Lab for Agriculture, which is run by the University of Osnabrück.

A research team at Heidelberg University has discovered a previously unknown molecular mechanism that plants use to prevent water loss during extreme drought and strong sunlight.

The EU project FABULOSE receives €3.5 million in funding for biotechnologically produced vegan leather alternatives based on cellulose. Four partners from Baden-Württemberg are involved.

Daniel Eggerichs has developed a process at Ruhr University Bochum in which genetically modified bacteria convert waste from the paper industry into plastic precursors. He was honoured by the German Chemical Society for this method.

Drones and robots could carry out planting work in forest areas in the future. Researchers at Kempten University of Applied Sciences want to realise this vision in the AI flagship project ‘DraAuf’.

This year's Joachim Herz Prize, worth €500,000, goes to physicist Hans Kleemann from TU Dresden for developing a bio-based and recyclable printed circuit board.

A comparative study by the University of Bayreuth shows that the cup plant is a more sustainable alternative to silage maize as an energy crop.

An international research team led by the Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK) has discovered the genetic cause of late flowering in barley, which leads to higher yields.

Freiburg researchers have discovered a cellular growth switch that regulates the plant hormone auxin and thus plant growth in response to environmental changes.

In the ‘Mycobuild’ project, researchers at Hof University of Applied Sciences aim to demonstrate that thermal insulation materials made from fungal mycelium can also be produced industrially, economically and ecologically.

The Cologne-based start-up PAPACKS will work even more closely with the US specialty chemicals company Solenis in future to produce sustainable packaging based on hemp on an industrial scale.

The Berlin-based start-up Nosh.bio is launching a hybrid minced beef product based on koji. It is the first German company to demonstrate the use of koji protein in hybrid minced meat.

Researchers at Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg (FAU) have developed a new process that will make the production of methanol from biomass significantly easier and more decentralised in the future.

The VitiForst project is entering its second phase, in which researchers from the Universities of Hohenheim and Freiburg aim to further develop the combined cultivation of vines and trees and put it into practical use.

As part of the EARL soil protection project, a globally unique pilot plant has been inaugurated in Ruhstorf, Lower Bavaria. The aim is to investigate the effect of cultivation systems on soil erosion.

The biotech company Amsilk, which specialises in the production of spider silk proteins, has raised tens of millions in fresh capital in a financing round to expand production of the high-tech biomaterial.

As part of its EIP-Agri funding programme, the EU is supporting two projects at Bingen University of Applied Sciences that focus on innovation in agriculture – including a project that aims to digitally control irrigation in vegetable cultivation.

The Zwingenberg-based enzyme specialist BRAIN Biotech will be collaborating with the Dutch company Corbion in the future to develop new sustainable ingredients for food preservation.

Researchers at the Technical University of Berlin and Humboldt University of Berlin have succeeded in elucidating the molecular mechanism of bacterial conversion of carbon dioxide (CO₂) into carbon monoxide (CO) for the first time.

With a new round of tenders for the “Bioeconomy International” funding initiative, the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology, and Space (BMFTR) is once again supporting the establishment of international research networks.

Researchers have developed a genome-based metabolic model for potatoes that can improve the breeding of new stress-tolerant varieties.

The Federal Ministry of Education and Research has established new funding guidelines to promote the development and application of new methods for the sustainable protection of crops against insect pests and plant pathogens.

Mastering structural change in the Western Palatinate with microorganisms: Alexander Schweitzer, Minister President of Rhineland-Palatinate, saw for himself how this can be achieved during a visit to the Pirmasens campus of Kaiserslautern University of Applied Sciences.

In the Texroh joint project, researchers at TU Dresden are seeking to develop cellulose-containing residues and waste materials for the production of sustainable Lyocell fibers.

The Power2Polymers project uses sustainable methanol to produce usable chemicals such as paraformaldehyde and polyols on a large scale – as a basis for adhesives and other industrial applications.

A research team led by the Technical University of Munich has developed a process for producing carbon fibres from renewable raw materials.

The European BioFibreLoop project aims to establish lignin as a bio-based fibre source for the textile industry. The main challenge is to establish a supply chain.

A research team led by Geisenheim University points to the potential of wild plants and their interaction with soil microbes for sustainable agriculture and calls for the establishment of protected areas to study this sensitive relationship.

As part of the EU project MATE4MEAT, Fraunhofer researchers are working on bio-based and antimicrobial meat packaging that extends the shelf life of food.

The collaboration between agricultural research and robotics has resulted in a novel 3D laser scanner system that enables precise plant analysis.

The development of bio-based adhesives, coatings and fibres for the construction industry is the focus of a new EU project involving researchers from the Steinbeis Europe Centre and the Fraunhofer Society.

Researchers at the University of Potsdam and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin have succeeded in explaining the working steps of an enzyme involved in anaerobic carbon fixation.

As part of the zukunft.niedersachsen science funding programme, two new large-scale projects are being supported with a total of 43.6 million euros in order to advance the transformation of the agricultural and food sector in the federal state.

Researchers from Dresden and Vienna have developed a method to precisely analyse the stability of plant cell membranes. The findings provide clues as to how plants react to rising temperatures.

The Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development is launching a research project to improve agroforestry systems in arid regions of eastern Germany.

As part of the new life sciences strategy, the European Union intends to provide 10 billion euros annually to make Europe competitive in the field of life sciences. Innovations in sustainable bioeconomy solutions are a key driver of growth.