For some time now, it has been possible to produce carbon fiber, an important high-tech material, from renewable raw materials instead of crude oil. However, so far, the biobased version could not compete as the mechanical properties were inferior to the petroleum equivalent. Thanks to an ultra high temperature oven, this is now likely to change, as fiber specialists at the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Polymer Research (IAP) in Potsdam report.

Nitrogen deficiency restricts the growth and yield of plants. That is why the addition of nitrogen is a common part of agricultural practice. However, researchers from the Zuse-Gemeinschaft report that the effect is reversed and the yield when as little as 135 kilograms are used per year and hectare. They also present new applications for field beans and a device that analyzes the ingredients and shelf life of food.

Until now, there were two types of catalysts that could be used for fuel cells: expensive precious metals such as platinum or short-lived biological molecules. A cooperation between researchers from the Ruhr University Bochum (RUB) and scientists from Marseille has now succeeded in developing a biocatalyst that will theoretically last 22,000 years.

Many cooks spoil the broth? Deep-sea mussels follow a different principle. They form symbioses with an unexpectedly large number of bacterial strains. Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology in Bremen and the University of Vienna suspect that what at first glance seems to contradict previous assumptions in evolutionary biology could actually be a widespread principle.

New technological possibilities often raise new ethical questions. This currently applies to so-called genome editing, the precision intervention in the genome. The Max Planck Society has now made clear its position in a discussion paper on the new possibilities, which also separately evaluates the individual fields of application.

Scientists from Potsdam, Berlin and Grenoble were able to use ultra-fast 3D neutron imaging to visualize the transport of water in the soil and the subsequent absorption by the roots of lupines.

The world market leader for collagen proteins, the German company Gelita, and the pioneer on the market for animal-free collagen, the US biotech company Geltor, intend to jointly develop vegan collagen for the food and beverage market. The two companies have announced their intention to develop vegan collagen for the food and beverage market at a trade fair.