The Corona pandemic had caused sales in the German biotech industry to soar for two years in a row. Just as great was the willingness of companies to invest in research and development (R&D) and create new jobs. Vaccine developers such as BioNTech and CureVac in particular had determined the record growth. Now, the annual survey of the industry association BIO Deutschland revealed a rather pessimistic picture.

High-density polyethylenes (HDPE) are popular materials for plastic containers, sheets and films because they form particularly robust and durable thermoplastics. These properties result from the way the molecular chains of the plastic combine - usually arranged in crystalline structures. However, the chemical structure of high-density polyethylene has a disadvantage: it is an almost pure hydrocarbon without functional groups, i.e. without reactive side elements of the main chain.

Besides France, Italy, Serbia and Romania, soy is also cultivated in Germany. In the 1980s, there were just 1,000 hectares of arable land for soy; in 2022, according to the Deutschen Sojaförderring ("German Soy Promotion Ring"), there were around 51,400 hectares - an increase of almost 50% compared to the previous year. In the long term, soy production in Europe could continue to increase significantly, as more and more arable land is suitable for cultivation. This is the result of a recent study by the Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF).

Plant-based meat substitutes have long since conquered supermarket shelves. There is still a need for research in terms of taste and texture, but development is running at full speed. For example, Project Eaden works on a technology that makes it possible to produce "ultra-realistic meat from plants." In January, the Berlin-based food tech start-up presented its platform technology in Berlin. Back in December, the trio of founders was again able to raise fresh capital from investors for the further development of the technology as part of a seed round.

For many, hydrogen is the energy carrier of the future because it is a clean and versatile fuel that produces no direct greenhouse gas emissions. But hydrogen is only sustainable if it is produced with electricity from renewable sources. In the project "Structure-based Metabolic Engineering of H2 Production by Algae (H2M)", researchers from Ruhr-Universität Bochum and Osaka University want to use certain microalgae as hydrogen producers and enable them to produce hydrogen not only during the day through photosynthesis, but also at night.

Due to its versatile properties, palm oil is one of the most sought-after vegetable oils - especially in the food industry. However, the economic, social and ecological consequences of palm oil cultivation in countries such as Malaysia and Indonesia are controversial. Researchers at the Max Rubner Institute in Detmold and the Technical University of Berlin have now found a domestic alternative.

CRISPR-Cas was a breakthrough for plant breeding: The genome editing method works more precisely than classical genetic engineering and avoids many of the things for which classical genetic engineering was criticized. But although the "gene scissors" produce results much faster than conventional breeding, they are still quite slow, especially for woody plants. Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Plant Physiology have now removed the backcrossing bottleneck with a combination method.

More and more consumers are turning to plant-based meat substitutes. Even though these products look very similar to their animal counterparts, the difference is noticeable when consumed. In terms of texture and taste, they often cannot yet compete with the original. Symrise AG, based in Holzminden, Germany, will work with researchers at Wageningen University in the Netherlands to improve the sensory quality of meat substitute products.

Microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi and yeasts are the invisible little helpers of the bioeconomy. Thanks to them, biological resources can be tapped, new bio-based products manufactured and production processes made more sustainable. To draw attention to the diversity of microbes and their great potential for application, the members of the Association for General and Applied Microbiology (VAAM) vote for the Microbe of the Year. This year, Bacillus subtilis is in the spotlight.