Jellyfish are not very popular. On the beach or in the water they are usually considered a nuisance. However, Jamileh Javidpour is convinced that the sea dwellers could very well turn out to be quite useful. In the EU project "GoJelly", a team led by the Kiel marine biologist is investigating whether marine organisms can also be used as microplastic filters or for the production of fertilizer and fish feed, similar to algae.
Does the dramatic decline in insect populations in recent years have similarly serious effects on populations of plants whose reproduction depends on pollination by insects?
The discovery of the revolutionary tool of molecular biology - the CRISPR-Cas9 gene scissors - was awarded the Nobel Prize for Chemistry 2020. For the discoverers it is the crowning glory of a series of top-class science prizes: microbiologist Emmanuelle Charpentier, who conducts research in Berlin, and US molecular biologist Jennifer Doudna have long become stars of science.
Unexpected European deal in the industrial biotechnology sector: Jennewein Biotechnologie GmbH has a new owner. The Danish group Chr. Hansen took over the company from Rheinbreitbach on September 22. As bioökonomie.de found out on request from company founder Stefan Jennewein, the purchase price is 310 million euros.
Along with industry, agriculture is an important economic factor in the Land of Brandenburg. Almost a third of the total land area is currently used for agriculture. Huge quantities of residues are produced which can be used both materially and energetically. Establishing agricultural biomass as a raw material and making better use of it is a cornerstone of the bioeconomy. The State of Brandenburg now intends to invest almost 25 million euros in the bioeconomic future.
The Global Hunger Index 2020 clearly shows that the hunger situation in many countries still requires urgent attention.
On the basis of their latest developments, 37 countries are unlikely to reach even low levels of hunger by 2030. At the end of 2019, almost 690 million people were suffering from chronic hunger, and another 135 million people were affected by an acute food crisis. In the crisis year 2020 the situation has worsened.
Tübingen-based Novis GmbH is dedicated to the further processing and generation of energy from residues. For example, it already generates biogas from manure, chicken dung, fruit and vegetable residues as well as slaughterhouse waste. Now another residual material is to be added: Champignon compost (Champost). As part of the EU project "Smartmushroom", which is endowed with 3 million euros, the team led by Novis Managing Director Thomas Helle intends to develop a biogas plant that will be operated with champost.
Species extinction is increasing worldwide. Above all, the decline of insects is dramatic - not least in Germany. Habitat destruction, environmental toxins and climate change are the causes of this devastating global development. At the same time, there are still millions of unknown species waiting to be discovered. This is where the work of the Center for Integrative Biodiversity Discovery at the Museum für Naturkunde in Berlin, founded in June 2018, comes into play.
Many plants die when they don't get enough water. Friederike Kögler has found a way to prevent this. She found out that plants can be trained like athletes. In her experiments she used targeted water stress to make corn plants get by with little water and still grow. In September last year, the doctoral student was awarded the Ernst Knapp Future Prize for this finding.
Earthworms are not everyone's cup of tea. But the small animals living in the soil have their virtues: they loosen up the soil and thus ensure better water and nutrient uptake by the plants growing there. On their way through the soil, they also consume huge amounts of organic material, which is ultimately excreted as humus. NOKE founder Michael Quintern took advantage of the characteristics of these natural soil conditioners.