Creative minds often lack funds to turn their ideas into reality. Among start-ups, crowdfunding has now established itself as an alternative method of investment, complementing more traditional sources of funding.

The Chitosan is mixed with an industrial polyester producing a hybrid fibre that combines the biologically qualities of Chitosan with the mechanical strength of the synthetic polymer. The new fibre is particularly suitable for medical applications such as implants or surgical yarns.

The Asian tiger mosquito Aedes albopictus is an invasive species that is present in pioneering populations in Southern Germany. The eastern grey squirrel, originally from North America, was introduced to various locations worldwide, including the UK, where it has largely displaced the native red squirrel. The many-leaved lupine (Lupinus polyphyllus) is extensively used in mountain hay meadows in the The Katzbach Mountains in Poland. In Europe, this species has been planted as a fodder crop and as an ornamental, and is now widely naturalized.

With a 2% share of the 300 billion tonnes plastics market and a turnover of €13bn compared to €11bn in 2015, the bioplastics market, however, still remains a niche market. Nova forecasts production to increase from the current volume to 8.5 million tonnes by 2021.

They are found in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, cleaning agents, on seeds and even in fire extinguishers: surfactants. These substances reduce the surface tension of a liquid or the interfacial tension between two liquid phases. Surfactants can be used to mix generally immiscible liquids together or separate them from each other in a controlled manner.
In mid-December, Biotensidon GmbH, a Karlsruhe-based subsidiary of the Swiss firm Biotensidon International AG, announced a breakthrough in the mass production of rhamnolipid surfactants.

You need to have a great deal of stamina and specialised knowledge to study biodiversity on agricultural land. The 'Jena Experiment' is a prime example of biodiversity research in a field laboratory. It was initiated in 2002 by the Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry and the Friedrich Schiller University Jena (FSU). It is not only the longest-running biodiversity experiment in Europe, but also the largest.

Cultivating tomatoes in space — it all sounds rather alien! Yet that extra-terrestrial mission is central to a project currently being developed by the researchers from the German Aerospace Centre (DLR). Preparations for the mission: Eu:Cropis (Euglena and Combined Regenerative Organic Food Production in Space) are in full swing. Scientists hope to send a satellite carrying tomato seeds into space before the end of the year.

Preventing deforestation

However, land ecosystems have changed. Forests are being felled for agricultural purposes or existing arable land is being cultivated in new ways.