A warm and sunny morning in Berlin: Minister of Research and Education, Anja Karliczek, officially opened the second Global Bioeconomy Summit in front of 800 international experts at the Deutsche Telekom's Representative Office in Berlin. Julia Klöckner, Federal Minister of Food and Agriculture, will join the Summit as well and address the attendees on Friday, April 20.

The European Investment Bank (EIB) announced the launch of a new financing initiative that aims to unlock close to €1 billion of investment in the agriculture and bioeconomy sector. This large EIB lending programme for agriculture and bioeconomy outlines the Bank’s broader support for funding this sector. The operation will be guaranteed by the EU budget under the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI), which forms a central part of the “Investment Plan for Europe” of the European Commission under the Juncker administration.

There are two sides to everything – even carbon dioxide (CO₂): on the one hand the rapid increase in atmospheric CO₂ concentration due to the burning of fossil fuels causes intensification of the greenhouse effect, which in turn fuels global warming. On the other hand, CO₂ is essential to keep plants, algae and some bacteria alive: they convert the greenhouse gas into biomass in a process known as photosynthesis, in which CO₂ and water are used to produce sugars and oxygen.

Using residual materials and conserving natural resources - these are just two of the cornerstones on the way to a sustainable and bio-based economy. However, novel green ideas in the bioeconomy need support to grow and succeed in the marketplace. This is where the start-up competition "PlanB- Biobased.Business.Bavaria" comes into play. The competition has been organized by BioCampus Straubing GmbH since 2014 and is supported by a broad partner and sponsoring network.

At DESY's X-ray light source PETRA III in Hamburg, a team led by Swedish researchers has produced the strongest bio-material that has ever been made. The artifical, but bio-degradable cellulose fibres are stronger than steel and even dragline spider silk, which had been considered the strongest bio-based material thus far.

On May 15 and 16 an estimated 200 participants from more than 22 nations met in Cologne  for the “International conference on bio-based materials". The annual conference took place for the eleventh time and was once again organised by the Nova Institute. In the more than 30 talks during the two-day event the speakers highlighted the enormous potential of bio-based materials, which is reflected by the growing product range offered by many companies.

Two years ago Bayer, mostly known as a chemical and pharmaceutical company, announced their plans to take over the US-based agriculture specialist Monsanto. The future merger caused quite the stir from the get-go, as the resulting super agro-chemical company would be the largest worldwide. With a price tag of US$62.5 billion, the takeover would also be the largest one ever to be realized by a German company.

Dry cleaners are very helpful when it comes to the stain removal off of delicate fabric. However, the chemicals used in the cleaning process are often very damaging to the environment. The average dry cleaning business produces a number of harmful waste products, including solvents, soils, carbon, dyes, grease, and powdered filter material.

There are many reasons why insects are vanishing in alarming numbers. One reason is intensive farming and the corresponding use of synthetic crop protection agents and pesticides. For instance, the widespread use of the neonicotinoids has been shown to be hazardous to the health of bees and bumblebees.

Tasty food is “mouth-watering”. However, saliva I so much more than water: It contains mucosal and immune cells as well as a large number of molecules that perform a wide variety of biological functions such as ensuring healthy teeth, gums, and oral mucosa. Moreover, saliva is the first barrier against pathogens. Therefore, it also contains a number of antimicrobial molecules, including the antibacterial lysozyme. These are part of the innate molecular immune system.