Berries are popular and healthy. But the plants cultivated today are by no means as versatile as the biodiversity of berries appears to be: in the course of breeding, the genetic basis of many berry species has steadily diminished. Today, there are only a few closely related varieties on the market, which have lost many of the characteristics of their ancestors. This often makes it impossible to adapt these varieties to new challenges such as certain diseases or climate change through conventional breeding efforts.

The chemical company BASF is counting on synthetic biology for industrial production and is investing in the Chinese start-up Bota Biosciences Ltd. (Bota Bio) through its in-house venture capital company BASF Venture Capital GmbH. The amount of the investment was not disclosed. Founded in 2019, the Hangzhou-based company relies on a platform that combines IT, biotechnology and automation. With the help of the technology, microorganisms for the production of various products can be quickly identified, characterised and reprogrammed.

Teak not only looks noble, the material is also easy to work with and very durable. Therefore, teak is in great demand - not only in Europe but also in Africa where the teak tree Pterocarpus angolensis grows. There, the tree is used in traditional medicine. However, slash-and-burn agriculture endangers its cultivation and new plantings are difficult due to the nutrient-poor soils. Even seedlings grown in nurseries have only a limited chance of survival.

In view of the United Nations' 2030 Agenda, the German government realigned the German Sustainability Strategy in 2017 and formulated concrete measures for sustainable development in various areas of society. Now the German government has published a further development of the German Sustainability Strategy. It takes up the "Decade for the Implementation of the 2030 Agenda" proclaimed in 2019 and also considers relevant political measures in response to the Corona crisis.

Jonagold, Boskop or Elstar: apples are the Germans' favorite fruit. There are almost 2,000 different varieties in the country. The fruit has few calories, but many healthy ingredients such as vitamins and minerals. Researchers at Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences have developed an apple that is even richer in one health-promoting ingredient and is also said to strengthen the immune system. The innovation: The new fruit called Selstar impresses with a particularly high selenium content.

Competition is part of the natural environment: animals compete for food sources while plants mainly compete for light, which is essential to their growth. Similar to animals, plants have several options of how to react in the face of competition. Biologists from the University of Tübingen have now demonstrated that plants can in fact choose between alternative competitive responses according to the stature and densities of their opponents.

It’s been more than two years since international and national players across policy and science discussed the meaning of bioeconomy at the „Global Bioeconomy Summit“ (GBS). More than 700 guests from 82 countries came to Berlin for the two-day meeting in order to talk about such pivotal topics as global warming, protecting the environment, decarbonisation, and the fight against world hunger.

Almost all materials and surfaces are coated with a coat of paint or varnish today. It improves appearances and protects the material from corrosion. However, very few are bio-based. And in the past, paints and varnishes with bio-based binders or film formers have either been too expensive or could not meet the requirements. But through the use of modified starch, scientists at the Fraunhofer IAP in Potsdam-Golm and the Fraunhofer IPA in Stuttgart have found a sustainable and cost-effective solution.

Sharp teeth and spiky stings are a common defense mechanism across the animal kingdom. However, plants are using thorns and spikes as well, to ward off herbivores and insects. And now botanists of Bonn University found out that the use of calcium phosphate incrustations to strengthen their defences is far more widespread among plants than previously thought.

Beech, or rather beech wood is on the rise in Germany and is even used to manufacture bioplastics. However, similar to other tree species, beech also has to cope with the changing climate, meaning increasing temperatures and prolonged periods of drought. The researchers hope that the complete analysis of the beech genome could enable the targeted breeding of more climate-stress tolerant beech trees.