Whether in food and agriculture, medicine, the chemical, cosmetics or pharmaceutical industry: biotechnology offers enormous innovation potential for many sectors. At the same time, industrial biotechnology in particular opens up ways for sustainable and resource-conserving economic activity and is therefore a key pillar of the bioeconomy. But what does it look like in practice? According to experts, Germany is lagging behind internationally in the industrial application of biotechnological processes.

With the 2030 Agenda, the international community defined 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015. These formulate measures that are to be implemented as part of national strategies. Innovations from research and development play an important role here. In the run-up to the summit of the 20 most important industrialized and emerging countries (G20), which will take place on November 18 and 19, 2024 in Rio de Janeiro/Brazil, the G20 science academies (Science20) have published a joint statement.

In biotechnology, microorganisms have long been used to manufacture products for medicine, agriculture or the chemical industry or to boost industrial processes. However, bacteria are also becoming increasingly important in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. New possibilities could now open up in the biotechnological application of bacteria. Researchers at the University of Bayreuth have laid the foundation.

Just under 40% of global CO₂ emissions are attributable to the construction industry. In Germany, 12% of greenhouse gas emissions are attributed to the sector. Large quantities of the climate-damaging greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (CO₂) are produced, particularly during the manufacture of cement, an important binding agent for concrete.

Anaerobic bacteria are among the oldest organisms on earth. As oxygen is life-threatening for them, they have developed special metabolic pathways that enable them to survive in oxygen-free regions. Anaerobic bacteria are also found in the human intestine, where they have a considerable influence on health. But that's not all. Their special metabolism also makes them sought-after tools in biotechnology. So far, they have played a subordinate role here. With the "AnoxyGen" project, Jena-based natural product researcher Christian Hertweck wants to change this.

Legumes such as peas and soy are not only valuable sources of protein for the production of food and animal feed. They are also important helpers in making agriculture more sustainable. Their ability to bind nitrogen from the air via the roots with the help of bacteria makes legumes a natural soil conditioner. However, the cultivation of such protein crops is still a niche in Germany and the EU. This is set to change.

Wheat is one of the most important food crops and, after maize, provides the world's largest harvest yields. Many foods, from bread and pizza to beer, are made from this grain. However, extreme weather conditions such as droughts and floods repeatedly cause crop losses – including wheat. Farmers are already trying to supply food crops with important nutrients such as nitrogen through fertilization and to secure wheat yields.

Whether bud formation, leaf emergence, flower or fruit formation: The development of a plant is characterised by the seasons. However, climate change and, above all, higher temperatures have shifted the life cycle of plants in many places in recent years. Recording such phenotypic changes on a large scale is essential for researchers in order to draw conclusions about the effects of climate change on plants. With the plant identification app Flora Incognita, a tool has been providing researchers with observation data on a large scale for several years.