They say two is better than one. But is that also true in plant protection? A team at Anhalt University of Applied Sciences (HSA) looked into this question. The scientists had discovered that certain plant extracts and beneficial microorganisms can protect crops against fungal diseases. ‘So we asked ourselves: what if we combined the two?’ explains agricultural scientist Marit Gillmeister. This led to the KombiAktiv2 project, funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research and headed by Prof. Ingo Schellenberg from HSA in Bernburg.
PAPACKS strengthens partnership with Solenis
Industrial hemp is one of the few renewable raw materials that grows all year round. The plant also binds more CO₂ than trees and can replace wood as a source of raw material, thereby helping to protect forests. The Cologne-based start-up PAPACKS is also capitalising on these advantages. Since 2013, the company has been developing sustainable packaging based on fresh and recycled fibres – including industrial hemp. The range extends from egg boxes and cream jars to inlays and cardboard packaging for industry.
Establishing insulation materials made from fungal mycelium as a building material
Manufacturers of conventional insulation materials mostly rely on synthetic or mineral substances, the production of which consumes a lot of energy and causes CO₂ emissions. At the Institute for Circular Economy of Bio:Polymers (ibp) at Hof University of Applied Sciences, researchers are working on a sustainable alternative in the ‘Mycobuild’ project: they want to put thermal insulation materials based on fungal mycelium into use and establish an industrial manufacturing process that is both ecological and energy-efficient.
How plants adapt to environmental conditions
The phytohormone auxin is involved in almost all developmental processes in plants. Among other things, this signalling substance, which is produced in the leaves, ensures that the plant grows towards the light and forms lateral roots. But how do plants manage to adapt their growth to increasing environmental changes? Answers are provided by a study conducted by researchers at the University of Freiburg in Germany.
Launch: Koji-based hybrid minced beef
Sustainable methanol production from biomass
Methanol is a valuable synthetic raw material in the chemical industry that is also used as a solvent and fuel. In future, methanol produced from plant-based raw materials and residues could replace some of the methanol currently based on fossil raw materials. However, this requires new processes that are less complex and energy-intensive than those used to date. Researchers at Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg (FAU) are now presenting a new method for sustainable methanol production from biomass.
‘Our product can supplement flour in various foods.’
Beer production generates huge quantities of spent grain every year. Most of it ends up as animal feed or in biogas plants. But spent grain is a valuable and nutrient-rich raw material. The start-up ValueGrain has made it its mission to harness this previously untapped resource for the food industry. A team led by managing director and co-founder Tim Gräsing has developed a technology that processes spent grain into ‘liquid flour’ that can be used to supplement conventional flours in all kinds of pasta, but also in meat substitute products.
‘Enzymes create proteins with customised properties’
Proteins are an important part of our diet. The majority of essential nutrients are still obtained from animal protein sources such as meat. However, factory farming, pesticide use and climate change are increasingly threatening soil and groundwater and putting pressure on agriculture. Plant-based proteins are an alternative. Compared to animal proteins, these often have some disadvantageous properties. During processing, for example, undesirable flavours or gel and foam can form.