Bioeconomy News

In Thuringia, textile researchers are working on bio-based sutures for surgical operations. The new fibres dissolve in the body and are thus safer for the patients.

Evonik and Siemens are developing a new technology that uses bacteria and electricity from renewable resources to convert carbon dioxide (CO₂) into specialty chemicals.

The offspring of two maize inbred lines provides higher yield than the parent plants. According to researchers at Bonn University this effect is caused by increased gene activity.

Clariant and Global Bioenergies have developed a new polymer from renewable resources for cosmetic creams and lotions.

Researchers at Hohenheim University found a possible new remedy against the Varroa mite: the chemical lithium chloride. It seems highly effective and is would be easy to dispense.

Fraunhofer researchers are developing bio-based and biodegradable alternatives to microplastics. They use cellulose particles derived from wood or crops.

Researchers at the Senckenberg research institute decoded the genome of the European Beech. The new genetic information will allow for targeted breeding of stress tolerant trees.

Since January 2018, insect-derived food can be commercialised according to the rules of the new Novel Food Legislation.

Yoghurt cups and water bottles made from polylactic acid are en vogue. Material scientists in Hannover have developed a computer mouse housing material based on sugar cane.

According to Bonner botanists many more plants than previously thought use calcium phosphate, a component of teeth and bones, to strengthen their defensive hairs and thorns.

Fraunhofer researcher from Potsdam and Stuttgart develop new paints and varnishes based on potato starch. A special chemical process is optimising the starch for this application.

Plants have several strategies to receive sufficient light. Now, Biologists from Tübingen University demonstrate that plants can choose between alternative responses to competition.

Researchers at the Mannheim University of Applied Sciences and BRAIN AG develop new three-dimensional skin models. These allow for more realistic screenings for health care and cosmetics.

Students from all over the globe are invited to present new ideas for a biobased economy as part of an art competition. The winners will be exhibited at the global summit in Berlin.

Molecular plant physiologists in Golm managed to engineer the chloroplast DNA of the tobacco plant. Via horizontal gene transfer they were able to produce the carotenoid astaxanthin.

Biochemists in Munich managed to improve the photosynthesis process by generating the Rubisco enzyme in a bacterial host. This could also boost future crop yields.

A new technique enables Hendrik Dietz at TU Munich to build DNA origami structures the size of viruses, while also reducing the cost of production substantially.

17 green start-ups were competing for potential investors in Berlin. Biobased plastic produced in Sweden and a map for air quality developed in Munich convinced the panel.

According to a recent study, there are 224 biorefineries online in Europe. The platforms differ by region, depending on the available resources.

Researchers in Jena found out why the corn rootworm is such a devastating pest: it exploits the plants defenses and then uses it against potential enemies.

According to researchers in Kiel, the increasing acidification of the oceans cause growing problems for mussels when developing their shells.

Pseudomonas bacteria can immobilise microalgae within moments. Researchers from Jena identified orfamid A as the chemical culprit.

Researchers from Jena report that the symbiosis of the thistle tortoise beetles with a specific bacterium allows them to digest plant cell walls.

Researchers in Munich deciphered the complex genome sequence of goatgras. This ancestor of the common wheat could improve targeted breeding.

According to a new report by researchers from Leipzig University, the economic and ecological value of any forest increases with its level of biodiversity.

The new Green Finance Cluster in Frankfurt is open for business. The goal: to pair up sustainable innovations and funding opportunities.

According to a new study by Munich researchers, warmer temperatures in cities speed up the growth of urban trees and let them age faster.

Researchers from Berlin managed to reprogram the intestinal bacteria E. coli in such a way that they generate the underwater adhesives as seen in mussels.

The 15 German teams at the finals of the iGEM competition for synthetic biology did very well: no overall win, but they received eight gold, three silver, and three bronze medals.

In the "Lancet Countdown" report, international experts from basic research to political scientists analyse the relationship between public health and climate change.

The swiss specialty chemicals company Clariant is set to build a sunliquid® cellulosic ethanol plant in Romania.

The German industrial biotech company Brain AG has developed a new bio-leaching method to isolate and retain metals by breaking down waste and ore.

Researchers at the Max Planck Institute in Mainz calculated that reducing agricultural ammonia emissions from manure and fertilizers decreases air pollution and reduces mortality.

A new EU project headed by Ralf Reski in Freiburg will promote the environmentally friendly production of specialty chemicals from genetically modified moss.

Geomicrobiologists from the University of Tübingen demonstrate that co-composting of mixed manure and biochar creates an organic coating, which improves its fertiliser properties.

Researcher in Kassel and Potsdam identified shear forces as the mechanism that turns the slimy secretion of velvet worms into stiff polymer fibres, which can even be recycled.

A long-term study by researchers in the Netherlands, the UK and volunteers across Germany found a 75% decrease of flying insects over the last 27 years.

BASF has signed an agreement for €5.9 billion to acquire significant parts of Bayer’s seed and non-selective herbicide businesses.

Special bladder cells on quinoa leaves remove salt from the plant metabolism. Researcher at the University Würzburg identified specific gene activities underlying this mechanism.

The speciality chemicals company Evonik is opening a new site in Tours, France. The new production site will focus on plant-based cosmetic active ingredients.