Algae on the beach are rather annoying. However, these unloved aquatic plants are not only important for the marine ecosystem, as they can filter pollutants. Algae are also a valuable raw material for the bioeconomy for the production of food, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, biomaterials and biofuels. In order to utilise this potential, microalgae have so far been cultivated in plants on land. Algae farms in the sea are barely established in this country.

Meat substitutes based on soya, wheat or peas are becoming increasingly popular. However, when it comes to flavour, these products cannot yet compete with the animal-based original. The Berlin start-up Cultimate Foods wants to solve this problem with an innovative fat ingredient. In order to improve the flavour and texture of plant-based meat substitutes, the biotech company is developing a so-called hybrid product consisting of plant-based protein and cell-based ingredients such as cultured fat.

Whether in packaging, mobile phones or cars, plasma technologies are used in many areas nowadays. In addition to their ability to heal wounds, cold plasmas can also kill multi-resistant bacteria and be used to treat seeds, for example. Plasma research at the Leibniz Institute for Plasma Science and Technology (INP) in Greifswald is now to be boosted with millions in funding from the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.

Bio-LNG is a mix of fossil liquefied natural gas (LNG) and liquefied biomethane. As biomethane is obtained from sustainable residues such as slurry and manure, its CO₂ intensity is negative. The resulting mixture of bio-LNG from biomethane and fossil methane can therefore reduce CO₂ emissions.

Floods, drought and heat are making life increasingly difficult for farmers in this country. Important ecosystem services such as water supply and soil fertility are being impaired by climate change, resulting in crop losses. One way to counter the crisis is regenerative agriculture. Here, the focus is on measures to regenerate soil and soil organisms and to preserve biodiversity. Instead of intensive cultivation, tillage is reduced and the soil is covered by permanent planting.

The demand for environmentally friendly and resource-conserving products is growing, and with it the search by companies for alternatives to their previous, often petroleum-based production methods and processes. The Munich-based biotechnology start-up Insempra has developed a technology platform that makes it possible to obtain natural ingredients from renewable raw materials.

The majority of land plants live in symbiosis with mycorrhizal fungi. The fungal networks on the roots supply the plants with important nutrients such as phosphorus and nitrogen as well as water from the soil. In return, the fungus is nourished with carbon, which the plant obtains and contributes from photosynthesis. Studies have already confirmed the importance of this biocoenosis for plants, fungi and ecosystems.

Dashboards made of sisal, door panels made of flax fibres or seat foams made of soya: in the automotive industry, petroleum-based materials are increasingly being replaced by bio-based materials such as natural fibre-reinforced plastics. These are mostly trim parts that are not exposed to high mechanical loads. Components such as vehicle underbodies, on the other hand, have to withstand every crash and are therefore often made of glass fibre-reinforced plastics.