Study: Redistributed nitrogen consumption increases global food security

Alongside water, nitrogen as a fertiliser is a key factor in determining plant yields and therefore people's food security. However, nitrogen consumption in agriculture is very unevenly distributed worldwide: Rich countries tend to use too much nitrogen fertiliser, which pollutes water bodies and reduces biodiversity. In the Global South, on the other hand, there is a lack of nitrogen for sufficient harvests. The imbalance in global nitrogen distribution was the focus of an international study involving the University of Göttingen.

Removing microplastics from sewage treatment plants

Whether in seafood, drinking water or vegetables, microplastics have already been detected in numerous foods. The tiny, barely visible particles are the remnants of plastic waste that ends up in the sea or gets into our food, for example through fertilisers and pesticides from sewage sludge. There are filter technologies to remove microplastics from wastewater. However, the treated water is not completely free of microplastics. Researchers at Weihenstephan-Triesdorf University of Applied Sciences have now succeeded in doing just that.

AI makes the growth of arable plants visible

How can agriculture become more sustainable with the help of intelligent digitalisation without sacrificing yields? Researchers at the Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn have been working on this question for several years as part of the PhenoRob Cluster of Excellence. With the development of software that can simulate the future growth of cultivated crops, the team is once again demonstrating the potential of digitalisation.

“Our robust yeast can process a wide range of waste streams”

The Munich-based biotech start-up Insempra GmbH is one of the eight winning teams of the SPRIND Challenge "Circular Biomanufacturing". The CEO and founder of Insempra is Jens Klein, who, like his colleague Lin Römer, once played a leading role at the biotech company AMSilk. The company is receiving millions in funding from the Federal Agency for Leap Innovations SPRIND (with 1.5 million euros in the first year) for the BioTreasure project.

Green ERA-Hub: EU alliances for innovative plant breeding wanted

Sustainable, efficient and resilient production systems in agriculture are of fundamental importance on the way to a functioning sustainable bioeconomy. The Coordination and Support Action (CSA) "Green ERA-Hub", launched in September 2022 and funded by the European Commission, represents 15 former and still active EU initiatives from the fields of agriculture, food production and biotechnology.

“Yeasts: developing cell factory alternatives”

Without microorganisms, there would be no bread, no cheese, beer or wine. The metabolic performance of bacteria, yeasts and molds is particularly important with regard to a sustainable economy. With their help, renewable raw materials can be transformed into new substances and customized products for the bioeconomy. Microorganisms are therefore valuable production factories for manufacturing chemicals, medicines, vaccines and fuels. The aim of Lena Hochrein's junior research group TAILOR is to make these cell factories even more efficient.

All-purpose cleaner

Several bio-based alternatives

Producers in the bioeconomy have been using plant-based surfactants for cleaning agents for several years now. These surfactants are made from coconut and palm oil, for example. A more sustainable alternative in terms of cultivation conditions and transport routes are detergent substances made from European vegetable oils. These include sunflower, rapeseed, flax and olive.

A more sustainable painkiller

Cannabinoid substances – in the context of the current partial legalisation of cannabis, this somehow sounds like a narcotic. However, many of the 120 or so known cannabinoids are potent painkillers, including delta-9-THC (dronabinol), which doctors prescribe very specifically for certain chronic pains. Because the chemical synthesis used to date is not without its problems, researchers in the BigPharm project are looking for sustainable biotechnological alternatives.

Weatherproof protein-based insecticides

The use of synthetic pesticides such as herbicides, insecticides and fungicides is increasing worldwide. As a result, pesticide residues are increasingly found in food and are accumulating in groundwater and drinking water. Synthetic pesticides are also criticised for reducing biodiversity and reducing soil fertility due to their non-specific effect. It is not possible to do without plant protection, but so-called biologics – i.e. bio-based active ingredients – are a sustainable alternative.