With their start-up Vyld, Ines Schiller and Melanie Schichan have developed the world's first tampon made from seaweed, the ‘Tangpon’. After positive tests with customers in 2023, the algae tampon has recently been approved and started being used in various sanitary facilities in Germany.

"Tangpons" in offices and at events

According to Vyld, the biodegradable tampon is now also convincing those who provide such hygiene products - for example in offices, fitness studios and at major events.

With the LOEWE Centre for Insect Biotechnology and Bioresources, the city of Giessen has developed into a world-leading location for insect biotechnology. Scientists from the Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME and Justus Liebig University are jointly researching biotechnological methods to develop new products from insects. One focus of the work is on sustainable, insect-based technologies for the circular bioeconomy. Now the breeding of insects is also to be established on a large scale in Giessen.

The textile industry is facing the challenge of becoming more sustainable and environmentally friendly. At the same time, the demand for functional textiles is growing, but their production often involves the use of harmful chemicals. These not only harm the environment and health, but also make recycling more difficult.

Climate change, resource scarcity and food security are the major challenges of the future. The bioeconomy offers solutions to these challenges. However, for the transition to a bio-based and circular economy to succeed, innovations are required in all areas. Whether bio-based plastics, fibres, cell-based foods or new biocatalysts: the range of bioeconomic inventions is as broad as the challenge of capturing their associated growth. With the help of artificial intelligence, researchers at Justus Liebig University Giessen have now succeeded in doing just that.

Nature offers numerous models that bionics can transform into innovative products. A current and fascinating example of this is the collaboration between researchers from the Universities of Stuttgart and Freiburg, who have developed a self-adapting shading system modelled on pine cones. Their solution is not only bio-inspired, but also bio-based: The system consists entirely of cellulose fibres - an abundant and renewable material. The key feature is that it is completely energy self-sufficient.

Waste, chemicals, noise and vibration - shipping pollutes and changes the water and its habitats. The river banks are also affected. A biodegradable filter made from renewable raw materials is now set to change this: Under the leadership of the Fraunhofer Institute UMSICHT, a team in the joint research project ‘Bioshoreline’ has developed a geotextile as a temporary filter for bank stabilisation. It consists of polymer and natural fibres and, according to the researchers, will biodegrade sequentially.

Vegan cheese alternatives have one thing in common: they contain neither casein nor whey protein - although these proteins are crucial for the characteristic flavour and texture of cheese made from animal milk. Formo has found a way to produce these essential milk proteins - especially caseins - with the help of microorganisms. The Berlin-based food tech start-up uses precision fermentation to produce animal-free cheese products.

The wood-processing industry produces large quantities of wood waste, which until now has either been disposed of at great expense or utilised for energy. Waste wood treated with wood preservatives can currently only be incinerated in special large-scale power plants, as the exhaust air has to be cleaned of the harmful substances. In the ‘H2Wood – BlackForest’ project, Fraunhofer researchers and their partners have now specifically sought alternative uses for wood waste in the Black Forest region, which is heavily characterised by wood processing.

The soil fungus Mortierella alpina is no stranger to biotechnology: It is already being used to produce long-chain fatty acids, which are used as food supplements for baby food, for example. Researchers from Jena now report that the soil fungus could also be the key to sustainable agriculture.

Traditionally, the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) organises the World Food Conference in Berlin at the start of the Green Week to kick off the year. This year, around 2,000 representatives from politics, business, science and civil society will once again discuss global agricultural and food policy issues in the CityCube from 15 to 18 January. The 17th edition of the Global Forum for Food and Agriculture (GFFA) will focus on the topic of ‘Shaping a sustainable bioeconomy’.