Biodegradable muscles for robots
For more sustainability in soft robotics, a Max Planck research team has developed artificial muscles made of gelatin, oil and bioplastics.
Textile concrete for sustainable building
Fraunhofer researchers have developed a natural fiber reinforcement for concrete that can be a bio-based alternative to synthetic fibers.
New biocatalyst for medical agents
Researchers have optimized an enzyme that activates indole and indene to produce, for example, the precursor of an HIV protease inhibitor.
Plant roots are more important for tropical soil life than assumed
Without contact with roots, one third fewer decomposers live in the soil. This is what biodiversity researchers from Germany found out during studies in tropical rainforests and plantations.
Thermochemical refinement of wood
Researchers from Fraunhofer IGB have developed a process for torrefaction of biomass. It is now being tested on a large scale to produce green chemicals and biochar.
