Yield losses of up to 50% - these are the possible consequences when winter barley becomes infected with barley yellow mosaic virus or mild barley mosaic virus. Fortunately, this rarely happens anymore because today's cultivars have resistance to these viruses. Recently, however, virus strains have appeared with increasing frequency that have been able to overcome these established resistance mechanisms. Large-scale crop failures would thus only have been a matter of time.

The environment influences how the activity of DNA is regulated - this has long been known. Now, however, researchers at the University of Tübingen have quantified the magnitude of this influence for the first time for the field penny-cress (Thlaspi arvense). Previously, this had only been studied for a few plant species. Field penny-cress could gain importance in the future as a winter cover crop and as a raw material for biofuels.

They are indispensable for the plastics industry: polyamides (PA). The polymers are used, for example, to produce synthetic fibers for textiles or technical applications. The best-known synthetic fiber is nylon, which is used in women's stockings as well as hot air balloons and car tires. However, the popular polyamides are usually obtained from crude oil.

When it comes to storing and loading heavy goods, industry often turns to so-called Euro pallets. These load carriers are usually made of wood, can be used universally and can carry up to 1,500 kilograms. Although there are also pallets made of plastic, these are still used quite rarely compared to the wooden variant. Researchers from the Fraunhofer Institute for Chemical Technology ICT in Pfinztal near Karlsruhe have developed a high-performance lightweight pallet made of foamed biopolymers.

AMSilk's biotech spider silk proteins are already used in a range of products. Just last year, the world's first commercial supplier of biotech silk polymers raised a multi-million investment from new investors to expand its market presence outside Europe.

Fertilization practices, monocultures or animal husbandry are to blame: With a share of 8% of Germany's greenhouse gas emissions, agriculture is a major contributor to climate change. At the same time, the agricultural sector is feeling the consequences of global warming among the hardest. Thanks to the breeding of new varieties, agricultural productivity has been demonstrably increased. However, it was previously unclear what effect the advances in plant breeding in recent decades have had on the carbon footprint.

The Xylosolv research project has developed the extraction of xylan from beech wood from laboratory scale to pilot plant. In 2025, a biorefinery yet to be built will finally produce the valuable carbohydrates on an industrial scale. At the same time, the process can also make the wood component lignin usable.

Tobacco plant leaves are more tolerant than expected: A research team from the Julius Maximilian University of Würzburg has been able to demonstrate that the leaf cells can cope with astonishingly high saline concentrations. In addition, the experts showed that the underlying mechanism is different from that in roots - and superior to that in the case of briefly elevated salt concentrations. This has great significance for agriculture, as many crops react to high salt concentrations by limiting their growth and thus their yield.

Mosquitoes can make spending time outdoors miserable - especially if you don't have a suitable insect repellent to hand. There are sprays or creams that are supposed to keep the insects away. But if you spend a lot of time outdoors, you need to renew your protection regularly. Researchers at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) have now found a way to make the protection last not just hours, but even days.