Bioprocess developed for plant hormone

Scientists at Bielefeld University have succeeded for the first time in enzymatically producing 12-oxophytodienoic acid (12-OPDA), a central precursor of the plant hormone jasmonic acid. The jasmonates are derived from the acidity, by means of which plants react to injuries, warn each other of pests or also control fruit ripening: "For example, jasmonic acid can trigger the release of toxic substances such as nicotine in the leaves, which harm the attackers", explains biologist Karl-Josef Dietz.

Vanilla aroma from lignin

Vanillin gives the vanilla bean its characteristic flavor. It is one of the most frequently used flavoring substances in food and perfume production, but also in the production of pharmaceuticals. Several tens of thousands of tons are used annually. Until now, however, artificially produced vanillin has been made from petroleum, creating toxic waste. Researchers at the Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz (JGU) have now succeeded in developing a sustainable method for obtaining the coveted aroma substance. A team led by Siegfried Waldvogel u

On the trail of the wheat of the future

Of all grains, wheat provides the world's highest yield after corn. With 730 million tonnes in the 2018/19 crop year, it makes a significant contribution to securing the world's food supply. But climatic changes and extreme weather events in particular are a growing threat to harvests. Areas under cultivation are also dwindling due to soil degradation and sealing. Pest infestation is making life even more difficult for plants.

Versatile composite materials from coffee grounds

For breakfast, after dinner or just in between: coffee is the most popular hot drink in Germany. For 72% of Germans, the energizing brown drink is part of everyday life. As a result, the average person consumes 165 litres of coffee per year. However, the leftover coffee grounds usually end up in the waste. Using this waste material as a resource for new bio-based materials and products has become an exciting field of research.

Creating new microbial bio-factories

“Microbes can do more” could be the motto of the "Microbial Biofabrics for the Industrial Bioeconomy" funding program of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research. Its goal is to identify previously not industrially used microorganisms and to optimize them in order to create new products or processes. Bacteria from the Bacteroidetes group might have this potential, which the "BaPro" project now hopes to exploit.

Plant protection with microgels

The use of pesticides in agriculture has long been controversial because they are both a blessing and a curse. On the one hand, they protect plants from pests and diseases, but on the other hand they are proven to harm the environment: soils are poisoned and biodiversity is decimated. As a result of climate change, plants are becoming even more susceptible to pests, driving up the use of pesticides. But it is also a fact that crop protection products are in some cases indispensable to ensure that the world's population can continue to be fed in the future.

Cell factory for hot and acidic

Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis oder Saccharomyces cerevisiae – the names of some industrially used microorganisms have been encountered even by laymen. What these three have in common is that they prefer rather mild growth or reaction conditions. They are usually unsuitable for processes or products that require elevated temperatures or special pH values. The situation is different with so-called thermoacidophilic archaeae, to which Sulfolobus acidocaldarius belongs.

Smart analysis of microbial data treasures

Jörg Overmann is Scientific Director of the Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures GmbH and leads the world's most diverse archive for biological resources. Microorganisms and cell cultures are collected, researched, and archived at the Braunschweig research institute. With the project DiASPora (Digital Approaches for the Synthesis of Poorly Accessible Biodiversity Information), a team led by Overmann was successful in the Leibniz Competition 2019 and is being funded with 1 million euros.

Customizing green packaging

From egg boxes and coffee capsules to technical packaging: with innovative and sustainable packaging solutions PAPACKS wants to make the world a little greener. The vision of founder and CEO Tahsin Dag and his team is to avoid plastic. The Cologne-based company, which was founded in 2013, relies exclusively on natural resources and residues, mainly from agriculture, which are processed into intelligent packaging through a special fibre casting process.