Bioeconomy News

Using a bacterial enzyme, Marburg researchers have made it possible for diatoms to degrade plastic waste in salt water.

Collagen protein supplier Gelita and the US company Geltor are cooperating in the development of biotechnologically produced collagen proteins for the vegan food market.

The Ethics Council of the Max Planck Society has announced its position on genome editing in plant breeding, medicine and pest control.

Up until now, biocatalysts were short-lived. Bochum researchers have now developed a thin protective film that can make the hydrogenases last thousands of years.

Deep-sea mussels enter into symbioses with a large number of bacteria and are thus well prepared for changing environmental conditions.

Too much nitrogen increases the protein content in wheat. But it also reduces the yield, a research team has found.

High-tech fibers made from renewable resources can be a real alternative to their petroleum counterparts, thanks to a new ultra-high-temperature process.

Germany plans large-scale reforestation to help ailing forests. According to Würzburg forest ecologists, this will have the opposite effect and make forests even less resilient.

Bayer and the US company Arvinas have teamed up to launch the joint venture Oerth Bio. It uses biotechnologically produced protein molecules to protect plants from pests.

Enzymes were their inspiration: Using nanoparticles as catalysts, German and Australian researchers succeeded in converting carbon dioxide into valuable resources.

It is an amino acid that makes the silk proteins in the spider thread tensile, researchers from the University of Würzburg have discovered.

The Dutch biotechnology company Isobionics specializes in natural fragrances and flavors and is now expanding BASF's portfolio.

The specialty chemicals company Clariant has won a second licensee for its biorefinery technology in the Polish petroleum group PKN Orlen.

Molecular cinema: German and Canadian structural biologists have observed an enzyme at work and produced a time-lapse film.

A research team from North Rhine-Westphalia has developed a process to produce building blocks for important plastics from carbon dioxide.

A research project coordinated by the University of Hohenheim has developed a system that detects fungal infections in the field at an early stage and greatly reduces the use of fungicides.

In the right places, jojoba plantations can influence the microclimate and increase precipitation, reveals a simulation by researchers at the University of Hohenheim.

Bee researchers from Würzburg show that there are great differences between the microbial communities of social bee colonies and the more species-rich solitary bees.

More money from the federal government, protection of habitats and a foreseeable end to the pesticide glyphosate are intended to counter the decline of insects.

At Clariant's Straubing biorefinery, 30 metric tons of Miscanthus grass were successfully processed into sugars and ethanol.

Materials researchers at the University of Kiel have measured how strongly pollen adheres to certain flower organs.

Fraunhofer researchers are developing processes and catalysts to produce chemicals and fuels from carbon dioxide. They have now demonstrated ethylene synthesis.

Chemistry giant BASF and Californian molecular diagnostics expert Ontera are cooperating to produce mobile devices that can detect and name infections of diseases at an early stage.

An inventory of life in inland waters reveals a population loss that is twice as high as on land and in the sea.

Environmental and agricultural researchers have analyzed the EU Commission's reform proposals for the Common Agricultural Policy. They have identified significant deficits and presented alternatives.

One in two consumers is willing to buy products from vertical agriculture, shows a study by the University of Göttingen.

In Baden-Württemberg, a research centre is to be established that will develop processes for the sustainable and inexpensive production of high-tech fibres from hardwood.

Dead or alive? Plant researchers at the University of Osnabrück have developed a method that can save seedbanks a lot of time and effort.

A German-Ethiopian research cooperation aims to develop catalysts for the sustainable use of fatty oils from the seeds of Vernonia galamensis.

Using epigenetic markers in the genome, Fraunhofer researchers can deduce the biological age of a cell sample. The software used is based on AI algorithms.

In marine sediments, not only microorganisms but also chemical processes produce nitrous oxide that is harmful to the climate.

Plant researchers from Germany have unlocked the genetic potential of old landraces for breeding robust maize varieties that can withstand harsh conditions caused by climate change.

Lawns and trees are good for people living in the city - neuroscientists from Heidelberg and Karlsruhe have measured how spending time in green spaces affects the well-being of volunteers.

Extremely halophilic archaea have a natural mechanism to mineralize dissolved radioactive ions and prevent leaching.

A German research cooperation has analyzed the toxins of a species of the robber fly and found an underestimated potential for agriculture and pharmaceutical research.

Together with European partners, researchers from the Julius Kühn Institute are investigating how far feedstocks for biobased fertilizers are contaminated with pollutants.

Plant researchers at the University of Halle-Wittenberg have compared the immune response of tobacco with thale cress and discovered surprising differences.

The soldier fly could help solve not one, but two problems of sustainable farming. Using the insect as feed could eliminate organic waste while also reducing the need for imported soya and fish meal.

The joint venture of Evonik and DSM, Veramaris, has commissioned an industrial plant for the production of algae oil in the United States.

Bremen microbiologists have researched bacteria in ciliates that live in close symbiosis with their host and perform unusual metabolic functions.

Microbiologists have discovered how the highly complex multiple sugar Ulvan from sea lettuce is broken down into its components by a dozen enzymes.

Plastic reinforced with plant fibres will in future be used for lightweight construction in Porsche series production vehicles. Fraunhofer researchers have developed the material.

Bioengineers at the TU Munich have used artificial DNA to produce a hydrogel that can release several active substances in a specific order.

A student start-up constructs maintenance-free moss facades. With the idea, they won the Rhineland-Palatinate ideas competition.

Pharmacists at the University of Jena have discovered highly effective surface-active peptides called malpinins in the secondary natural substances of a soil fungus.

Even with less fertilizer and pesticide use, high-performance wheat varieties outperform their ancestors from before the intensification of agriculture.

Partners from research and industry want to improve the survival of larvae and thus help protect wild fish populations.

For ten days, the fast food chain McDonald's is testing sustainable packaging for their burgers. They are served in grass paper from the Swabian start-up Apomore.

The Institute for Innovation and Technology has investigated the opportunities and risks of self-learning algorithms for the environment.

Researchers in Frankfurt have further optimized the process of producing natural substances. Now, entire peptide libraries can be synthesized.

Pre-packaged salads and sprouts are often microbially contaminated. This is the result of a recent study by the Max Rubner Institute. Unprocessed products, however, came off well.

With a total of 8.4 million euros, the European Union is backing a project coordinated by Hamburg University of Applied Sciences that aims to initiate innovations in bioplastics production. 

An international team of researchers has obtained a special variant of pluripotent stem cells from pigs. They hold potential for agriculture and medicine.

The sustainable production of crops is the focus of a cooperation between agricultural research institutions in Germany and Brazil.

Using artificial intelligence, researchers at TU Munich have improved protein analysis on the basis of mass spectrometry data.

A Franco-German research project is investigating how efficient agriculture could largely do without chemical-synthetic crop protection.

Max Planck Researchers are working to develop sustainable alternatives for each component of the ecologically problematic electricity storage systems.

Researchers at the University of Düsseldorf are developing genetic approaches to accelerate the path to new varieties.

The nano-active substance transporters known from medicine were successfully used for the first time for the treatment of dreaded plant diseases. And on top of it all, they are also made of waste. 

Max Planck researchers from Mainz want to use mini-sensors to ensure even temperature in beehives, thus better protecting honey bees from parasites.