Yeast replaces palm oil

Chocolate, potato chips and organic fuel all have one thing in common - they all contain the popular resource palm oil. However, the cultivation of palm oil is controversial. Worldwide, around 19 million hectares of rainforest have already been cleared for this purpose. This not only releases large quantities of the greenhouse gas CO2, but also destroys important habitats for flora and fauna.

Paving the way for bio-based plasticizers

Whether cables, car tires, packaging or children's toys: many everyday objects are made of plastic. The versatility of plastic is enabled by plasticizers, which not only make the material softer, but also more flexible, elastic or resilient. But plasticizers, like conventional plastics, also consist largely of petroleum, which is neither climate-friendly nor infinitely available. In the "Bioplasticizers" project, partners from research and industry have therefore been researching a sustainable alternative since 2017.

Ecologically valuable management of meadows and pastures

Around one third of Germany's agricultural land is used for meadows and pastures. In its natural state, grassland is one of the world's most species-rich ecosystems and, according to experts, can even compete with the species richness of rainforests. Meadows and pastures are not only an important source of food for insects, they are also resistant to storms and can store carbon in the soil for a long time.

Tapping alternative protein sources

In view of a growing population and dwindling resources as a result of climate change, alternative protein sources are becoming increasingly important. A wide range is available: legumes, algae, fungi and insects, as well as proteins obtained by cell-based or fermentative processes, are suitable as a source of raw materials for a healthy, environmentally conscious and sustainable diet.

Colombia

Colombia is a biodiversity hotspot: 10% of all the world's species can be found there. The country also has large deposits of oil and coal. The second most populous country in South America has recognized the economic potential of its bioresource diversity and has developed several policies related to the country's natural environment. An explicit bioeconomy strategy was published in 2020.

20 million Christmas stars

It comes in red, pink, creamy white - and now also in cinnamon, bright lemon yellow and even bicolor: the poinsettia. Originally from Central America, the tropical plant with the Latin name Euphorbia pulcherrima is the second most popular ornamental plant in this country after the orchid. And despite a wide range of colors - the red poinsettia is still considered the favorite.

Cloth diapers

A child needs more than 6,000 diapers in the first few years of life - that is about a ton of waste, making diapers the third most common waste product in landfills. Biodegradable cloth diapers are a sustainable alternative.

Coated flax fibers for new biocomposites

The plastics industry is changing: The abandonment of petroleum as a raw material and the move toward bio-based raw materials requires research into new processes and materials, but also promises potential for new types of applications. One of the challenges involved relates to engineering thermoplastics: Their melting temperature in the hot press is often over 200°C. However, since natural fibers are generally only heat-resistant up to a maximum of 200°C, it has been virtually impossible to process them this way.

A light switch for targeted genome interventions

The research project getLIGHT (Novel light-inducible genome editing technology for crops) aimed to develop nothing less than a completely new genome editing method. In plant breeding, for example, this would enable the rapid and precise development of improved varieties without incurring expensive licensing fees for established methods such as CRISPR-Cas.