Bioeconomy News

Pheromones are an effective weapon against plant pests, but their production is expensive. A European research team now wants to produce these messenger substances through biotechnology.

Poinsettias are not only beautiful to look at but also robust. Growers are constantly creating new color variations of the popular decorative plant.

The Tatarinow's aster is well-known for its medicinal properties. However, a recent study shows it is a special fungus which produces the sought-after active ingredient astin.

Consumer demand for environmentally friendly products is growing: by 2024 this will lead to a global increase in bioplastics production of more than 15%, a recent market analysis by European Bioplastics shows.

When insects attack, certain varieties of sweet potatoes release a fragrance that causes neighboring plants to start defending themselves.

Bioengineers have reprogrammed E. coli bacteria so that they can use CO2 as a carbon source.

In the DiTex pilot project, a research team is focusing on recycling fabric fibers and on intelligent labels.

Science academies and the German Research Foundation are urging EU legislators to reconsider the regulation for genetically modified organisms.

Clariant has secured access to a unique technology through a strategic partnership with Plant Advanced Technologies (PAT): The French company extracts certain plant ingredients from roots.

Aquatic plants that use hydrogen carbonate as a carbon source are increasingly displacing those that use carbon dioxide.

How land plants cope with stress is not primarily controlled by hormones. An international team of researchers found out that a gene set regulates the process right off the bat.

Not every bamboo coffee-to-go cup is suitable for hot food: Products made with synthetic resin release toxic substances, warns the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment.

Researchers have discovered a new source of antibiotics in the ocean. Planctomycetes are a marine phylum that has previously attracted little attention.

Sewage treatment plants often require a lot of space. The Ruhrverband is piloting a new process that saves 30% electricity and also reduces space requirements and operating costs.

In addition to softwoods, low-value hardwoods are also suitable for the production of fiberboard. This has been demonstrated by Fraunhofer researchers.

The European Investment Bank will stop financing fossil energy projects from the end of 2021. Future funding will focus on clean energy innovation, energy efficiency and renewables.

Researchers from Bonn are hoping to gently optimize weed control in the cultivation of medicinal plants in order to avoid contamination.

The European Council calls on the European Commission to investigate how the handling of genome-edited plants is to be regulated in future.

Researchers have shed light on the structure of nacre in mussels, paving the way for break-resistant ceramic materials.

Pesticides pose greater risks than previously thought: Helmholtz researchers have shown that pollutants can affect sensitive people and ecosystems even at very low concentrations.

In Germany, most insect groups are affected by species extinction - and more so than previously assumed, as a study led by the Technical University of Munich shows.

With two multi-resistant rice varieties and a diagnostic kit, an international team of researchers hopes to eradicate the plant disease bacterial blight.

Production of alcohols from CO2 through electrochemical reduction is the goal of a research consortium that wants to use a new process to reduce the energy required for electrosynthesis.

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.