Fluorine is a small atom with a big effect: For decades, the pharmaceutical industry has been using it to improve active medical ingredients. For example, fluorine can improve the binding of an active ingredient to its target molecule, increase the availability of the active ingredient to the body, or change the residence time of the active ingredient in the body. Until now, incorporating fluorine usually required complex chemical syntheses.
Almost every third startup founded in Germany in 2021 can be considered "green". This is the conclusion of the 4th Green Startup Monitor from the Startup Association and the Borderstep Institute. At 29%, the share of all startups is thus roughly at the previous year's level of 30%.
Medicine has always relied on the healing powers of nature. Plant-based active ingredients are therefore a sought-after raw material for both the pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries. However, their extraction from medicinal plants such as thyme and chamomile is subject to natural fluctuations, so that the active ingredient content varies. In addition, climate change and barren soils further reduce the concentrations of the ingredients, thus lowering the quality of conventionally extracted essential oil.
Not only in terms of taste, but also nutrients, the salmon alternative made from pea protein, algae extracts and vegetable oils is said to keep up with its animal counterpart: Rich in protein, omega-3 fatty acids and vitamins D and B12, but free of heavy metals and toxic waste. Because instead of being caught on a fishing rod, this salmon comes from the 3D printer in the Vienna office.
Flying powered by food scraps - that's how you could describe the vision of a team of researchers from the Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems (IKTS). Together with several partner institutions, the experts have developed a plant that can produce synthetic fuels and biogenic waxes from biogas. The raw material for this is biological waste.
Developing industrial biotechnology research in Germany to a top international level - that is the declared goal of the Wacker Chemical Group and the Technical University of Munich (TUM). To achieve this, the two partners have now founded the TUM WACKER Institute for Industrial Biotechnology. The institute is scheduled to commence operations as early as the coming winter semester. Wacker is funding the research there with €6 million spread over six years.
Meat has got competition: Plant-based sausage alternatives made from soy, peas or lupins have conquered supermarket shelves. However, there are differences: For example, plant-based sausages lack the right crunch when you bite into them. Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research in Mainz have now found a way to improve the mouthfeel so that vegetarian and vegan sausages resemble the animal original even more.
Provence is famous for its lavender fields. In July and August, the blue and purple flowers are not only beautiful to look at: The scent also attracts bees and butterflies, which feast on the sweet nectar. Because of its essential oils, the plant has also been valued as a remedy for centuries and is still used today for the production of medicines and natural cosmetics. A research team now wants to establish lavender cultivation in the Swabian Jura in order to obtain raw materials for the bioeconomy from it.