Cable bacterium is microbe of the year 2024

Microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi can be found everywhere. These microscopic creatures do not only live on human skin or on plants and animals. They can also be found in soil and water. As masters of substance conversion, they are not only indispensable helpers in the production of foods such as cheese, beer or wine. With their special metabolism, they can also produce new substances from organic compounds and are therefore important tools for bioeconomic change.

Understanding the enzymatic binding of carbon dioxide

Nitrogen is an important nutrient for all living things. Our atmosphere is full of it, but the only living organisms that can bind and use this nitrogen directly are some microorganisms. They use certain enzymes called nitrogenases to do this. But researchers are also interested in these enzymes for a second reason: nitrogenases can bind carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide and form methane or ethylene from them. This turns problematic waste materials into valuable chemical resources.

Batteries made from wood waste

They are small, light and long-lasting and therefore extremely popular: lithium-ion batteries. These powerful energy sources are not only found in many electronic devices such as cell phones, laptops and digital cameras. The automotive industry also mostly relies on lithium-ion batteries for the production of electric cars. The problem is that lithium is only available in limited quantities and has to be imported. Mining the raw material is also often problematic for both people and the environment.

NRW gets Bioeconomy Council

The state government of North Rhine-Westphalia wants to further strengthen its already extensive activities in the bio-based economy by establishing a Bioeconomy Council. "In North Rhine-Westphalia, we have long recognized the enormous potential of the bioeconomy for competitive, sustainable companies and start-ups and are ambitiously driving forward the expansion of a bio-based economy. By appointing the Bioeconomy Council, the state government is implementing an important project from the coalition agreement.

ERC: millions in funding for Potsdam symbiosis researcher

An estimated 80 % of all plants live in symbiosis with so-called mycorrhizal fungi, which colonize the roots of plants. This subterranean symbiosis has proven itself over millions of years as it is extremely beneficial for both the plant and the fungus. In order for the symbiosis to come about, the fungi colonize the root and form small tree-like structures in the root cells - the arbuscules. Important nutrients such as phosphate and nitrogen then reach the plant via the fine root system in the soil, the so-called hyphae.

Bio-based plastic building blocks from domestic vegetable oil

At just under one percent, the share of bio-based plastics on the global market is still very low. However, the global plastics industry is changing. Renewable raw and residual materials are increasingly coming into focus. In the Bio-Polyols project, researchers at Bielefeld University, together with an industrial partner, have now developed a process to produce the important plastic group of polyurethanes from domestic vegetable oils and make them usable for high-performance composites.

Leibniz Prize for Marburg bioengineer

Plants have the ability to bind carbon dioxide from the air through photosynthesis. The same applies to algae and bacteria, which bind around 70 gigatons of carbon per year through photosynthetic CO2 fixation, the so-called Calvin cycle, and thus remove it from the atmosphere. The metabolic pathways of the microorganisms that achieve this impressive feat are the focus of Tobias Erb's research. The Marburg microbiologist is primarily dedicated to the processes involved in the conversion of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide and is redesigning them.

"Bioinformatics can make agriculture more sustainable"

Agriculture must adapt to the challenges of climate change in order to secure the supply of important food crops such as cereals in the future. Agnieszka Golicz from Justus Liebig University Giessen is convinced that bioinformatics can provide a crucial contribution. After all, the ability of crops to adapt to climate change is already anchored in their genome, says the molecular geneticist. In her research, she uses bioinformatics methods to analyze genome sequences.

Rye - the cereal of the future?

Agriculture is facing major challenges: It needs to feed a growing world population, become ecologically sustainable and withstand the changes brought about by the climate crisis. Rye could possibly be part of the solution: "Until the middle of the 20th century, rye was a key part of our agriculture," says Bernd Hackauf from the Julius Kühn Institute (JKI), "since then it has lost a lot of its importance."

Repairing cracks in concrete with bacteria

The construction sector is facing the challenge of saving CO2 emissions and resources. This applies to both new builds and the renovation of old buildings. Until now, cracks in concrete have been filled with plastic-modified materials such as epoxy resin. But there is also a more sustainable way, with the help of special microorganisms. Microbes of the species Sporosarcina pasteurii have the talent to seal cracks and pores in concrete under certain conditions and thus protect buildings from further damage.