Bioeconomy News

After a year of growing vegetables in Antarctica, Paul Zabel has returned to Germany. The results are mostly positive - in total, more than 270 kilograms of vegetables were harvested.

Partners from research and industry are developing environmentally friendly lubricants based on biopolymers.

According to researchers from Heidelberg, so-called bifacial stem cells alternate between producing wood and bast cells.

The influence of climate change on groundwater is insidious. The slow reaction time could prove to be an ecological time bomb, as an international team of researchers discovered.

Cosmetics are a growing market but mostly based on petrochemicals. During a trade show in Paris Covestro is now presenting a new sustainable hair gel and sun protect lotion.

Fraunhofer physicists have developed a pocket-sized food scanner that uses infrared light and intelligent algorithms to determine the shelf life of food.

Materials scientists at TU Dresden have developed wood fibre-based oil binders that can clean water in the event of an oil spill.

The European project PANBioRA is investigating and developing tools and methods in order to assess the risks of new biobased medical products in a standardised way.

Zoologists in Kiel have discovered highly adhesive cellulose nanofibres in the slimy protective layer of plant seeds, which may be very useful for biomedical applications.

Due to its magnetic properties, the microbial species Magnetospirillum has enormous potential for biotechnological applications and was voted Microbe of the Year 2019.

Nuts are traditional winter and Christmas treats. However, they are not only tasty and nutritious, they also have a huge potential as source material for the bioeconomy.

Jasmonic acid is widely known as a defence hormone of plants. Researchers from Würzburg have now identified another function: it also causes the closure of stomata.

Are bioplastics really a "green" alternative to petroleum-based plastics? According to researchers in Bonn, bioplastics are only sustainable if crop residues are used for its production.

Ecologists from Germany and Switzerland report that maize and wheat use the metabolite benzoxazinoid differently depending on which pest attacks them.

Materials researchers from Karlsruhe are using enzymes as a biobased, energy-saving and sustainable alternative to conventional catalysts.

According to Cologne-based researchers, praising insect food as a luxury object rather than advertising it as environmentally-sound motivates more people to actually eat it.

Many types of soft PVC are harmful to one's health. Thus, a consortium of the Hamburg and Bielefeld universities as well as BASF SE is looking for biobased alternatives.

During this years "disruptive innovation festival" numerous online sessions and podcasts explained the concept and opportunities of a circular economy and insects as food or feed.

The European Commission calls for a pan-European long-term strategy for a prosperous and climate neutral economy and names the bioeconomy as key to achieving these goals.

In a new report, the international InterAcademy Partnership states that food production and consumption must change drastically to limit climate change.