Bioeconomy News

Within the framework of the EU-supported 'Sweedhart' project, Fraunhofer researchers are looking for ways of exploiting field weeds.

In a first, chemists in Karlsruhe have developed a biodegradable surface coating for implants.

EU consumers have minor knowledge on bioplastics but unrealistically high expectations that can not be fulfilled, researchers said at 11th European Bioplastics Conference in Berlin.

Researchers in Bochum have developed a new 'bio-supercapacitor' that, with the aid of enzymes, not only generates energy, but can also store it.

Certain aspects of the Federal Genetic Engineering Act are to be supplemented to include a ban on cultivating genetically engineered crops. Today the German parliament focused on the draft amendment.

According to official statistics, nearly 2.5 million tonnes of cheese were produced in Germany in 2015, of which over half were exports. This makes Germany one of the leading cheese exporters within the European Union.

Adidas has presented the world’s first lightweight racing shoe made by recombinantly produced silk fibers.

How can sustainable economic activity in Germany be encouraged? A German government advisory committee presented recommendations at the Green Economy Conference in Berlin.

Geneticists from Potsdam have cracked a century-old puzzle: They have discovered a gene in primroses that controls the length of its female reproductive organs.

While DG Research has delayed its update on the European Bioeconomy Strategy and Action Plan until next June, the Central and Eastern Bioregions presented a blueprint that proposes key actions aimed at integrating the goals of the European Commission’s circular economy and the bioeconomy strategies.

Carnosic acid is a widely sought-after substance that is used to enhance the flavour of foods and make them keep longer. To date, the substance must laboriously be extracted from herbs such as rosemary.

The time is finally upon us: Bayer AG has purchased Monsanto for 66 billion US dollars. The largest agrochemical corporation in the world will be created from this mega-deal.

The largest big-data analysis to date on global biodiversity in forests has confirmed how closely species diversity and productivity are interrelated.

The new joint venture Synvina is positioned in the market for drop-in bioplastics with advanced product characteristics.

The fate of the bioeconomy in Europe remains undecided. The evaluation of the European Commission’s bioeconomy strategy plus action plan has been delayed.

The increasing global demand for palm oil and expansion in cultivation are damaging the environment. A study by environmental protection organisation WWF has concluded, however, that no credible alternative to the product exists.

Using high-tech to make tomorrow's environmentally friendly car. That is the goal of the brand new LeichtbauCampus Open Hybrid LabFactory in Wolfsburg. Central government is supplying 30 million euros.

Symbiosis between plants and fungi is common. The organisms supply each other with important, growth-promoting nutrients. They give each other a helping hand even under extreme conditions.

Denmark’s Novozymes has acquired microbial research company Organobalance GmbH. The Berlin-based company owns a large collection of microbial strains, some of which date back to the 1920s, and has strong capabilities in microbial screening and assay technology.

The German biobased economy is on the road to success. That is underlined by the progress report of the German National Policy Strategy Bioeconomy.

The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010, is one of the worst environmental disasters of recent year. After the explosion at the BP operated drilling rig Deepwater Horizon, an estimated 800 million litres of crude oil spilled into the sea.

Algae have many talents. They are not only important ingredients for the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industry; it has now been proven that the tiny green microorganisms can also be used as a suitable alternative source for the aviation fuel kerosene.

Garden plant remains will soon be used to barbeque – even in German gardens.

Waterproof items are popular with the young and old. However, the waterproof layer made from chemicals is does not degrade well.

The bioeconomy – economy based on biological knowledge and resources can help to achieve key points of the UN sustainability goals and is central to the implementation of climate and sustainable goals.

Buildings are built to last, at least that is the intention. Over time, however, moisture can destroy the mortar that binds together bricks or stones, for example, when cracks from as a result of frost.

It could be one of the largest acquisitions in the chemical industry. Yet the planned Bayer billion dollar takeover of Monsanto is faltering.

These voices have weight. The debate on genetically modified plants in agriculture has garnered new nourishment from the ranks of top-level research. In an open letter to the governments, 110 Nobel Prize winners, including six German Laureates, have campaigned for the deployment of green genetic engineering.

Thanks to new innovations, and not just in biotechnology, speciality chemical company Evonik has increased the value of its innovation projects by half a billion euros.

The world of oceans and seas is the focus of the current Science Year 2016*17. It also wants people to be made aware of the largest ecosystem on Earth, which as a result of global warming, economic efficiency and pollution, is under immense environmental pressure.

Chemical and pharmaceutical giant Bayer have formed an agreement with US aerospace company Planetary Resources to develop applications and products based on satellite imagery.

The agenda of the Open Source Circular Economy Days (OSCE Days) held in Berlin from 9 to 13 June showed how a circular economy without waste can work in practice.

The primary mission of the new EU-funded BiodivERsA project "STACCATO" is to advance the long-term sustainable development of land use systems against risks of global change.

The Technical University of Munich is expanding its activities in the area of synthetic biology in teaching and research. With a grant of €11.5 million, the Werner Siemens Foundation has kick-started the launch of the teaching and research domain Synthetic Biotechnology at the Technical University of Munich (TUM).

Catalysts such as enzymes can stimulate chemical processes. They are also the key to transforming chemical substances in efficient and resource-saving ways. The sustainable potential of these helpful compounds for the global economy is huge.

Specialty chemical manufacturer Evonik plans to increase its use of sustainably produced ingredients for cosmetics in the future.

The Bio-based Industries Consortium (BIC) announced the results of the first study on the European bioeconomy at its general assembly.

Spurned by Swiss Syngenta earlier this year, Monsanto is still looking to expand. According to press reports, the US agribusiness giant is in talks with Bayer concerning the German company’s seed and crop protection business.

German chemicals giant BASF is negotiating with Dutch chemical technology company Avantium to launch a joint venture producing polymer building blocks from renewable resources.