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.
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.