The custom-made, minimalist cell that is viable but in which only selected processes take place is the dream of many researchers in the field of synthetic biology. It could be used to understand biological processes even better, but above all, it would be a valuable tool for biotechnology.
Pentylene glycol is a moisturizing agent that is contained in almost all creams. The divalent alcohol is odorless and colorless. Compared to the common alcohol ethanol, the so-called diol ensures that the skin optimally binds moisture and active agents. At the same time, it acts as an antimicrobial and thus keeps bacteria away. Pentylene glycol is therefore a natural preservative. To date, however, pentylene glycol has been obtained almost exclusively from natural gas and crude oil.
Every year, 120 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) are released worldwide through the so-called soil and vegetation respiration. Plants simultaneously bind about 123 gigatons of CO2. However, this near-balance is disturbed by the burning of fossil fuels - with serious consequences for the climate. Researchers around the world are therefore looking for ways to curb the increase of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
In 2019, the PROPHECY research project gained insights into what happens at the molecular level during artificial photosynthesis, i.e. when sunlight and carbon dioxide are used as the starting materials for a chemical reaction. For instance, methane and hydrogen can be produced in this way. By 2023, the follow-up project PRODIGY is expected to expand the range of possible products by further deepening the understanding of the molecular processes of such reactions.
Disposable plastic products are to disappear from the European market from 2021. This was decided by the EU Parliament in November 2018. Since then, more research has been conducted into alternatives to disposable plastic articles such as drinking straws or cutlery that are affected by the ban. Two master's graduates of the SRH University of Applied Sciences in Heidelberg have a tasty solution to the problem: they are developing edible spoons.
Food packaging is designed to do one job above all others: to protect food so that it remains edible and arrives at the customer unscathed. Depending on their use, the materials must therefore be heat-resistant and have a high degree of stability. But the trend away from fossil resources also presents the packaging industry with ever new challenges. Sustainable alternatives are in demand in order to conserve both natural resources and the environment. One such alternative might be banana leaves.
The soil is teeming with microorganisms. Researching them is not easy because many of them cannot yet be cultivated in the laboratory. Therefore, researchers often record so-called metagenomes - the entirety of the genes of the microorganisms in a sample. More than 200,000 such metagenomes are available in public databases. But there is a problem: the data sets in them are not subject to a uniform standard, making it difficult to put the data to use.
Potatoes are an important staple in many countries. However, as a result of climate change, harvests are increasingly threatened by extreme weather conditions and pest infestation. Scientists at Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences and Bielefeld University of Applied Sciences, together with their industrial partners BIOCARE and field seed producer Freudenberger, want to pre-treat the potato seed so that the young plants are more resistant.
CRISPR-Cas9 has revolutionized molecular biology. The enzymatic system works like scissors that can cut DNA at a defined location to deactivate genes or insert new gene sequences. To make sure that CRISPR-Cas9 finds the right place to cut, it is combined with a target-specific so-called guide RNA. However, even this guide RNA makes a certain percentage of mistakes in finding the target.
Intensive livestock farming causes several environmental problems. One of them is related to the use of soybeans as animal feed. Their high energy and protein content makes them the feed of choice for many livestock species. However, rainforests are destroyed for their cultivation, transport from South America causes high CO2 emissions and, at least in large parts of Europe, most consumers dislike the fact that most soya fields are cultivated with genetically modified plants.