The economy is still based on fossil fuels which leads to problems such as climate change, energy crisis and resource scarcity. Ways are therefore needed to break this dependency. The Joachim Herz Foundation would like to support precisely such solutions with the innovate! Fund. According to the call for proposals, it supports transfer-oriented research projects with high-risk approaches that make biogenic resources usable for a fossil-free future. Three interdisciplinary research teams are being sought.

Since the 19th century, phosphorus has been used as a fertilizer in agriculture to help plants grow and thrive. To do this, the material has to be mined or artificially produced, which consumes resources. In order to save resources, the recycling of human faeces can be considered. However, due to the Fertilizer Ordinance, this may only be used for research purposes and not in agriculture. A team from Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (HU) has now provided new data to adapt the regulation.

In nature, CO₂ is mainly fixed via the Calvin cycle, which is part of photosynthesis. Marburg microbiologist and Leibniz Prize winner Tobias Erb has been working for some time on making natural fixation pathways more efficient with the help of synthetic biology.

Meat, cheese, fruit and vegetables are often packaged in plastic materials in supermarkets. This means they are in a protective gas atmosphere in which germs have difficulty multiplying and the food lasts longer. In order to maintain this atmosphere for a long time, the packaging materials need gas barriers - which bio-based plastics do not yet have. Researchers from the Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging (IVV) and the Albstadt-Sigmaringen University of Applied Sciences have therefore been working on this in the joint project PLA4MAP.

In agriculture and horticulture, weeds are often removed with pesticides because they compete with the main plants for nutrients, water and light. However, not all weeds are harmful, they can even be beneficial. Researchers at the Technology and Support Centre (TFZ) in Straubing have been working on using artificial intelligence (AI) and drone images to apply herbicides in a more targeted and automated manner.

The manufacture of pharmaceutical and biotech products is usually associated with high material consumption. For this reason, the Giessen-based start-up Green Elephant Biotech has developed recyclable cell culture vessels. These not only reduce the carbon footprint by up to 90% compared to conventional disposable items, but also improve the growth conditions of the cells. This solution is now being further developed in a strategic partnership with the family-owned company Bürkert Fluid Control Systems.

Mushroom mycelium is now used in many areas as a versatile, bio-based material: loudspeaker boxes, insulation panels or even stage sets. Another field of application is protein-rich meat substitutes, for which single-cell mushrooms are propagated and harvested. With this method, the start-up Kynda wants to create the basis for a new generation of vegan products and at the same time promote the circular economy in the agricultural and food industry.

Synthetic polyamides - better known as nylon - can be found in tights, fishing nets and sportswear. However, their recycling rate is less than five per cent. A lot of nylon waste ends up in landfill sites, in the environment or is incinerated.

With the European Green Deal, the European Union (EU) has committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 55% by 2030. To achieve this goal, the EU member states are focussing on a sustainable bioeconomy that functions in circular systems. Corresponding measures to implement the green transformation were already set out in the European Bioeconomy Strategy in 2019. With the aim of making the EU a leader in circular bioeconomy, the European Bioeconomy Clusters Alliance (EBCA) was founded in Brussels on 10 February.

Microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi and yeasts are the invisible little helpers of the bioeconomy. With their assistance, biological resources can be utilised, new bio-based products can be manufactured and production processes can be made more sustainable and efficient. In the search for new microorganisms for biotechnological applications, researchers in the newly launched EU project XTREAM now want to take a closer look at the earth's extreme habitats.