Deep-sea microbes break down petroleum components

Hydrothermal vents are among the few places where there is sufficient energy in the deep sea to support life. Forms of this energy are crude oil and natural gas, which are formed from deposited organic material by the high heat from the Earth's interior. A team of researchers from Bremen has now been able to demonstrate that microorganisms indigenous to hydrothermal vents use the alkanes contained in petroleum as a food source. Until now, it was only assumed that certain microbes are capable of degrading alkanes in an oxygen-free environment.

Microbial carbon utilization in the soil surprisingly efficient

Climate change and industrialization put pressure on ecosystems worldwide - including the valuable resource soil. Especially its ability to store important greenhouse gases is being impaired. It has long been known that microorganisms play an important role in the conversion of organic carbon in the soil. However, how biological and environmental processes affect carbon storage in soils was largely unknown until now. An international team of researchers with the participation of the Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry in Jena now provides answers.

Protect house facades with algae biofilms

According to weather experts, the summer of 2022 was the hottest since weather records began. Temperatures above 30 degrees have long been normal in Germany, and even heat records of over 40 degrees Celsius are more frequent. Especially in densely built-up cities, heat and air pollution are increasingly becoming a problem for people. Studies have shown that green spaces, but also watering holes or greened house facades, can improve the urban climate.

Earth Comission (2023): Safe and just Earth system boundaries

In their study, published in the journal Nature, the group led by Johan Rockström of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) writes that seven out of eight "safe and fair boundaries" of the Earth system have already been exceeded. In the researchers' view, humans are endangering the stability and resilience of the planet with their current way of life.

How the TOR protein regulates root growth

Without roots, plants could not exist: Not only do they anchor the plant in the soil, they also supply it with water and nutrients. Influencing the shape and size of root growth would therefore enable plant breeding to produce more robust and higher-yielding crops. A first step on this path could be a study by an international team of researchers who have now further elucidated the molecular processes involved in root growth of the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana.

Producing basic chemicals with wood and hot steam

Agriculture and forestry produce enormous quantities of residual materials such as hay, straw, wood or plant residues. The bioeconomy strives for the efficient and sustainable utilization of such raw materials in order to close cycles and thus conserve resources and the environment. Some of these valuable by-products of agricultural and forestry production are already being used to generate energy and materials for the production of new biobased products. However, neither the material nor the energy potential has been sufficiently exploited.

Algae biotechnology: creating profitable processes

Shifting away from fossil raw materials and toward biobased alternatives: This credo has become a matter of course in research and industry as a result of the climate crisis. From biofuels to bioplastics and biobased fine chemicals, the alternatives are proliferating - at least in theory. This is because the technically feasible processes are not always economically profitable in the end. Frequent reasons for this are insufficient product yields or overly complex purification steps.

Award for research on meat substitutes

Meat substitute products have long been established on the market. To encourage even more people to eat alternative meat products, the products must be able to compete with the animal original not only in terms of taste, but also texture and mouthfeel. At the TU Berlin, Anja Maria Wagemans studies the structure formation of such innovative foods. For her research, the food technologist and junior professor was awarded the Young Scientist Award, which comes with 10,000 euros in prize money. The award was presented in May by Berlin's Governing Mayor Kai Wegner.