The structural change in the Rhenish mining district is in full swing. In areas where lignite is still being mined today, a model region for sustainable and bio-based economic activities is emerging.
Footstool
Utilising organic residues
‘With communication standards to a digital biotech lab’
Engineer Felix Lenk is the founder and Managing Director of SmartLab Solutions GmbH. The spin-off from Dresden University of Technology develops hardware and IT solutions for the digitalised and automated laboratory of the future. These include the ‘Sens-o-Spheres’, a mobile measuring system the size of a pea that records important process parameters such as temperature in the culture medium of a bioreactor and transmits them to a base station.
‘We use residues to establish sustainability’
As an industry-oriented research institution, Jena-based INNOVENT has been working closely with companies for many years and supports them with specialist and technical expertise from product development to market launch. One focus is research into innovative and sustainable products and processes for the bioeconomy. Expanding the range of bio-based materials and making them usable is the focus of Ronja Breitkopf's ‘Biomaterials’ research group.
Glass microalgae as a bioindicator for coastal marshes
Moors are not only unique habitats for animals and plants. They bind large amounts of climate-damaging CO2 and therefore make an important contribution to climate and environmental protection.
How Europe's moors can be saved
Although they only cover around 3% of the earth's surface, peatlands play a crucial role in climate protection, as they bind almost twice as much carbon as all of the world's forests combined.
Barley defends itself against fungal attack
As a result of global warming, crops such as barley not only have to contend with increasing drought, but also with infestation by fungi, which multiply particularly well in warm conditions.
Trial run for algae farms on high seas
Many fish species such as salmon and trout are now bred in aquaculture facilities to meet the increasing demand. As a rule, these fish farms are located near the coast, where breeding is impaired by shipping, tourism or buildings.