Signposts for crisis-proof food systems

The way in which fields are cultivated and food is produced has a lasting impact on the environment and climate. Around a third of global greenhouse gas emissions, biodiversity loss and soil degradation are caused by global agricultural and food systems. The Leibniz research network ‘Green Food - Healthy Society’ is now providing a new systemic approach to tackling these challenges.

A guide to algae cultivation

The green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii is a well-known model organism, especially in molecular biology. Here, the unicellular organism is used to research photosynthesis in living cells, metabolism and protein transport. The alga is also becoming increasingly important as a biofactory for the production of hydrogen. However, the cultivation of C. Chlamydomonas in the laboratory has its pitfalls.

Marine sugars from algae

Carrageenan – it sounds exotic, but for many people, it’s already a part of everyday life. In yogurt, ice cream, or toothpaste, carrageenan helps ensure the right consistency and stability. The plant-based gelling and thickening agent is commonly used in foods as additive E 407 and is approved without quantity restrictions. The substance comes from red algae and consists of long sugar chains with many so-called sulfate groups. These very sulfations make carrageenan both intriguing and complex.

“Dyes from fungi are an alternative to synthetic colors”

When people think of natural dyes, they usually think of plants. However, fungi also offer a broad spectrum of colors. Unlike plant-based natural dyes, the potential of fungi as dye producers is still largely unknown. Moreover, there is still a lack of suitable biotechnological processes for cultivating dyes from fungal mycelium. A team led by Berlin-based biochemist Friederike Hoberg aims to overcome this challenge in the MycoColors project. The goal is to explore the potential of fungal-based dyes and establish their use in the fashion and textile industries.

How a marine bacterium digests oil

Oil spills occur time and again in the world's oceans with serious consequences for the entire ecosystem. But here, too, nature has microbial helpers at the ready that can contain the spread of the oil slick and thus the environmental pollution. These are marine bacteria that feed on crude oil. A research team led by the University of Bonn has now taken a closer look at such a marine bacterium. RWTH Aachen University, HHU Düsseldorf and the Jülich Research Centre were involved in the study.

GFI reports: Record investment in alternative proteins

The development and production of alternative proteins is becoming increasingly urgent in view of the growing world population and the increasing strain on natural resources caused by the growing consumption of animal-based foods. These are foods or ingredients based on plants, cell cultivation and fermentation that have a comparable protein content and can therefore replace animal products such as meat and milk.

LIFE programme seeks bioeconomy innovations

With LIFE (L'Instrument Financier pour l'Environnement), the European Union launched a programme in 1992 to promote innovation in environmental, nature and climate protection. Since then, more than 6,000 projects have received financial support across the EU, including projects in the bioeconomy sector. The starting signal for this year's funding round for the current LIFE period, which began in 2021 and runs until 2027, was given at the end of April.

ESA sends BIOMASS satellite into space

Forests are both a carbon sink and a source of raw materials. However, the condition of trees has not only deteriorated in Germany. Aridity, drought and pests as well as large-scale deforestation in the tropics are jeopardising ecosystems worldwide and fuelling global warming. On 29 April 2025, the European Space Agency (ESA) launched BIOMASS, a satellite designed to monitor the Earth's green lungs.