Bioeconomy News

The 2018 UN Biodiversity Conference, held until the end of November in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, focusses on the implementation of global goals for the protection of biodiversity.

Following the inititative of the German University of Hohenheim, the six leading European universities regarding bioeconomy will join forces and establish a pan-European university.

Scientific advisors and a WTO-committee are urging European legislators to revise their verdict regarding GMOs to reflect current scientific knowledge and protect EU trade relations.

Certain protein fragments give cheese, beer, soy and the likes their characteristic taste. Munich biochemists have developed a new method to identify these fragments.

In early November, international experts from Ghana, Colombia and Germany gathered in Berlin to discuss the state of the implementation of the sustainable development goals.

Coastal researchers at the Helmholtz Centre Geesthacht have developed a statistical method with which cod stocks in the Barents Sea can be predicted more accurately.

Essen-based specialty chemicals company Evonik invests in British start-up OPTIfarm, which aims to improve poultry production via digitalisation.

Environmental contamination due to plastic waste is enormous. Nuremberg researchers are developing bio-based and biodegradable plastics to put an end to this.

The fourth gene technology report by the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities has been published. The authors urge to rethink the regulation of CRISPR-Cas products.

More than 500 bioeconomy experts from policy, industry and research joined a conference in Brussels organised by the European Commission to discuss the new European bioeconomy strategy.

Nitrous oxide emissions by plants are larger than previously thought. Though a natural process, it should be included in climate change models, say researchers from Heidelberg and Bingen.

According to plant researcher at the Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF), drought stresses arable crops more than heat and leads to higher crop losses.

An assessment by the Federal Environment Agency with the participation of Fraunhofer researchers states: Even biodegradable plastics remain in the environment for months.

An assessment by the Federal Environment Agency with the participation of Fraunhofer researchers states: Even biodegradable plastics remain in the environment for months.

The European Commission has announced an updated Bioeconomy Strategy containing an action plan to develop a sustainable and circular bioeconomy for all of Europe. 

In its latest report, the IPCC has called for a drastic reduction in CO₂ emissions in order to limit the risks posed by global warming to humans and nature.

About 500 experts from 70 countries met in Berlin at the beginning of October for the 12th International Working Conference on Stored Product Protection - IWCSPP2018.

For the first time, plant researchers have succeeded in using the CRISPR-Cas genome editing tool to breed a new crop from a wild tomato plant within just one generation.

The Technical University Berlin set up a start-up center for innovative ideas for a more sustainable economy. The advisory board includes high-ranking members from research and industry.

The Federal Ministry of Education and Research launched its first funding measure towards the sustainable use of forest wood. This is part of the "Bioeconomy in the North" initiative.

How far has the implementation of the UN sustainability goals come? This and other questions were at the core of a Leibniz Association conference in Berlin in mid-September.

For the first time, researchers identified metabolites in above-ground parts of a plant that reveal its symbiosis with mycorrhizal fungi. This will advance targeted breeding endeavors.

The German biotechnology company AMSilk is partnering with Airbus to develop novel biocomposite fibers for lightweight, high-performance planes that will require less fuel.

Researchers from Mainz have found out why the addition of inulin from dandelion changes the texture of food: The colder the mixture, the more it crystallizes.

Iron is essential for plant growth and harvest yields. Now, researchers in Jena discovered a new iron transporter that significantly improves the productivity of plants.

Following the EU's decision to classify crops created by genome editing technologies as GMOs, the German Bioeconomy Council urges politicians to modernize genetic engineering laws.

An international research team managed to decipher the gigantic and complex wheat genome. The new information is hoped to help in breeding more yield-efficient wheat varities.

Domestic trees are growing faster and faster, but the wood is also losing weight, according to Munich forest researchers.

An international research team analysed the soil microbiome. Bacteria and fungi are constantly fighting for resources and fungi even produce antibiotics to gain an advantage.

Biogas contains too much carbon dioxide compared to natural gas. Researchers have now produced a new type of active carbon from the fermentation residues of the biogas plant, which removes carbon dioxide from the biogas.

Bionic scientists at the University of Kiel have designed silicone material surfaces based on the model of a leaf beetle, thus significantly increasing its adhesion to other materials.

Researchers from Hannover have found a way to make food safer: Cold plasma succeeded in killing bacteria in sausages.

Using DNA snippets from tomatoes, researchers hope to identify breast implants in a way that prevents them from being falsified. This will enable them to track down inferior forgeries more quickly. 

Munich biotechnologists have developed a highly efficient method to extract large amounts of the amino acid methionine from climate-damaging CO₂.

Manufacturing carbon fibres from sustainable resources is expensive – until now. A researcher at TU Dresden develops new and efficient manufacturing processes.

Molecular biologists from Freiburg have constructed intelligent materials from biological modules that can absorb and process information.

The Court of Justice of the European Union declared that crops bred via the gene-editing tool CRISPR-Cas are "GMOs" and are to be regulated as such.

The German pharma company Merck is investing in the development of cultured meat by the Dutch start-up Mosa Meat.

Bacteria protect the eggs of the wool beetle from fungal attack. According to Mainz researchers, the bacteria obtained the mechanism through natural gene transfer - possibly even from marine organisms.

Not only is fine dust unhealthy for humans, it also affects the vegetation: According to an international study, the particulate matter makes trees more susceptible to drought.