Reusable cup

It’s not just the seed itself that holds potential – the shell does too. While sunflower seed shells are technically edible, they’re considered difficult to digest. For this reason, sunflower seeds are usually processed after being shelled. Since the shell accounts for around 15 to 20 percent of the seed, large quantities of shells accumulate as a by-product during the production of both sunflower seeds and sunflower oil.

Sustainable chemicals with microbial cell factories

Glycolate – also known as glycolic acid – is a basic chemical and serves as a starting material for the production of preservatives, polymers and medicines. Until now, the substance has been obtained from fossil raw materials, some of which are toxic. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Organic Electronics, Electron Beam and Plasma Technology (FEP) in Dresden, Chemnitz University of Technology and Leipzig University are currently developing a sustainable process for glycolate production as part of the PhotoKon project.

Plant mix is worthwhile

Organic farming is a climate-friendly form of agriculture. It deliberately avoids the use of pesticides. Instead, organic fertilisers and adapted crop rotations are used to promote plant growth and protect them from disease. However, organic farming also suffers from the consequences of climate change, such as drought and heat. A new study involving the Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF) offers organic farms a solution for achieving sufficient yields even in drought conditions while protecting the environment.

AI Living Lab for Agriculture launched

Can artificial intelligence help make agriculture more productive, sustainable and cost-effective? This question is the focus of the new AI Living Lab for Agriculture (RLA), which officially began its work on 17 October. Together with seven partners, the research team led by the University of Osnabrück is dedicated to developing intelligent technologies for a resilient agricultural and food industry.

Edible scaffolds for cultivated meat

The world population is growing, and with it, the demand for meat products. While meat consumption is declining in Germany, demand is rising in developing and emerging countries. However, conventional meat production – particularly livestock farming – has long been criticized for its negative impacts on the environment and climate. Companies and research institutions are therefore working intensively on so-called lab-grown meat, which can match the animal original both in taste and structure.

Leather made from bacterial cellulose

Traditionally produced leather is associated with significant environmental impacts, including deforestation, high emissions and pollution. Conventional synthetic leather is also criticised: it often contains plastics or is tanned using harmful chemicals, which can have negative effects on the environment and health. As a result, demand for leather alternatives is steadily increasing. In the FABULOSE project, eleven European partners are developing new scalable and bio-based production routes for animal-free leather alternatives.

‘It is our mission to revolutionize the construction industry’

According to the German Environmental Aid Association, the construction sector accounts for 40% of total raw material consumption and 12% of greenhouse gas emissions in Germany, making it a major contributor to global warming. With 3D printing technology and bio-based materials, Willowprint aims to make the construction industry more sustainable – using willow paste.

Prize for bacterial plastic factory

Plastics are an integral part of everyday life – from packaging to technical components. Until now, however, they could only be produced using petroleum, which is not only a finite resource but also causes considerable environmental pollution during extraction and processing. As part of his doctoral thesis at Ruhr University Bochum, which was funded by the German Federal Environmental Foundation, Daniel Eggerichs therefore developed a process that enables genetically modified bacteria to produce plastic precursors from waste from the paper industry.