Although the demand for a bio-based industry is continually growing, financial support for such endeavors is still incredibly difficult to come by. This is particularly challenging as biotechnological production processes are often times still more expensive than conventional processes.
Agricultural enterprises oftentimes accommodate several hundred cows that all need to be fed and taken care of healthwise. The healthier the animals, the higher are the yields.
A vaccination is training the immune system to be able to fight the pathogens in the future. Distinct surface structures on the germs are teaching the body’s defense system the corresponding immune responses for future infections.
Humans and animals require omega-3 fatty acids for a healthy and well-balanced nutrition. These essential fatty acids consist of a family of polyunsaturated fats that also include eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Since the body can’t produce them, omega-3 fatty acids have to be taken up through the diet or diet supplements. Many studies have shown that sufficient levels of omega-3 EPA and DHA support brain, eye, and heart health in multiple species, including humans.
Clean water is the basis for our own health as well as a healthy environment. Unfortunately in many waters micro pollutants exceed the legal limits and environmental guidelines. On a global scale approximately 50 million organic compounds are circulating in the waters, 5000 of which are potentially hazardous for the environment.
GPS and sensor technology have been a part of agriculture for quite some time now. But not just the cultivation of fields can be simplified by the digitization. Radio chips and the likes are also useful to optimize animal husbandry by monitoring animal health and thus increasing revenue. Last fall a survey by Germany's Digital Association bitkom together with the German Farmers’ Association (DBV) revealed that the majority of farmers are already using or would like to use digital technologies in the near future.
Copper is an important bulk metal for the German industry: it is mainly used in the cable and electrical industry, but also in the construction and automotive sectors, and in mechanical engineering. Until now most of it had to be imported either in the form of metal concentrates or crude ore. The world market leader Chile has been an important copper partner for Germany.
Approximately 100 million people live in Ethiopia, making it the second most densely populated African state south of the Sahara. Over the last two years the “El Niño“ phenomenon has caused the worst drought in decades. The “Welthungerhilfe” estimates that 10 million people are threatened by malnourishment and starvation.
The common mussel has more to offer than pearls and tough threads with which it clings to the seafloor. Scientists at the Max-Planck-Institute of Colloids and Interfaces in Potsdam-Golm have gained first insights into the extraordinary process how mussel attachment fibres, known as byssus threads, are generated in the mollusc foot.
The soya bean has long offered vegetarians and vegans an alternative to animal protein. Be it fresh fare or soya beans processed into soya milk and tofu - the millennia-old crop has since secured its place on supermarket shelves. Yet, the East Asian legume continues to be a niche product on German farms. In Germany, the majority of soya plants are processed into animal feed. Soya expert Martin Miersch is convinced that "in discussions on the topic of feeding the world sustainably, we shouldn't think of soya plants as mere animal fodder".