Until now, wood has not been considered well suited for use in biogas plants. The reason for this is the high proportion of fibrous compounds that are difficult to degrade. Researchers in the PaplGas project have now overcome this hurdle. Under the leadership of the German Biomass Research Center (DBFZ), they have developed an innovative process chain for using poplar wood for biogas plants. Vattenfall Energy Solutions GmbH (ESG) and the substrate manufacturer Klasmann-Deilmann GmbH (KD) are involved in the project.

The marine bacterium Vibrio natriegens is faster than any other: No known organism that is harmless to humans multiplies faster. This makes it a potentially highly interesting tool for biotechnology. A research team from TU Munich has investigated this question and used the microbe to produce succinic acid. Their research is presented in the journal „Microbial Biotechnology“.

The black soldier fly has long been identified as a valuable building block of a bio-based circular economy: it can use a wide variety of residual and waste materials as feed, its larvae gain weight quickly and contain high-quality proteins. As a feed additive and soy substitute, they are therefore already approved in pig and chicken farming. Other applications - including for food - are under development.

"Green chemistry" - i.e., environmentally friendly, sustainable and biobased chemistry - is defined by twelve principles. Paul Anastas and John C. Warner established them in 1998. While many of their principles are now widely taken into account when the industry develops new substances, a research team led by the Goethe University in Frankfurt believes that one principle has so far been neglected: the reduction of environmental toxicity.

The European Circular Bioeconomy Fund (ECBF) clearly exceeded its target of 250 million euros at the closing of the subscription period. Shortly before Christmas, the fund had paused at around 200 million euros. Now, the international ECBF team has gained the support of a number of additional investors.

The bioeconomy can make a decisive contribution to the implementation of the global sustainability goals of the United Nations. However, a bio-based economy is not sustainable per se and in some cases there may even be conflicting goals.

Market analyses show: Fossil plastics are slowly becoming less common. Even if products made from bioplastics are still a niche, experts expect significant growth in the coming years. But bioplastics are only sustainable if they are made from renewable raw and residual materials.

The development and production of enzymes and bioprocesses are the strengths of the Leipzig-based biotech company c-LEcta. In 2018, a financing round laid the foundation for establishing large-scale production of enzymes. Last year, the Leipzig-based company cracked the €10 million revenue mark and announced a move to a yet-to-be-built biotechnology campus building.