The standard process for producing collagen films has been established for 125 years. Now, a consortium of four partners has been looking for ways to to this a more sustainable and homogeneous way in the project "BioPro: Biotechnological process development for novel collagen-based membranes". The Weinheim-based company NATURIN Viscofan GmbH tested the practical suitability of one of its products: a nature-identical casing for sausages.

The multinational research project lasted about ten years, from 1990 to 2000, and for the first time produced reference data on the complete genome of the most important model plant, the thale cress (Arabidopsis thaliana). Today, an individual genome can be deciphered in just a few hours, and molecular biology has developed so rapidly. In many cases, the bottleneck of genome research is no longer the chemical analysis of the genetic material, but the subsequent data processing and evaluation.

Be it in the household, at sports or in the car: objects made of fiber composites are ubiquitous without us being aware of them. The combination of two components, such as a plastic matrix with fibers, creates a high-strength and lightweight material that meets a wide range of requirements. The range of applications extends from skateboards and leg prostheses to aircraft fuselages.

Enzymes are now indispensable for many industrial sectors. Their potential to naturally refine products or accelerate production processes as catalysts makes protein molecules secret stars of biotechnological processes. Detergent manufacturers in particular can no longer do without these multi-talents. More and more textiles today consist of a mixture of fibers - such as cotton and polyester.  In addition, there are new materials for outdoor textiles made mainly from synthetic fibers. This also poses new challenges for detergents.

Along with soya and corn, sugar cane is one of the most important crops in Brazil. It is used to produce not only sugar but also biofuels such as ethanol. However, processing produces enormous amounts of bagasse - fibrous remains - which up to now were not used efficiently. Instead, the lignocellulosic residual material is burnt in inefficient incinerators and usually disposed of in landfills or scattered on fields. But ash is more than just burned biomass. It contains nutrients such as phosphorus, which are essential for plant growth.

When you think of fuel cells, you don't necessarily picture bacteria. However, microorganisms also need energy for their metabolism and obtain it through electrochemical processes. Excess electrons are released into the environment by the unicellular organisms. Biotechnologists want to take advantage of this fact to drive microbial fuel cells. The project "Textile Carbon Electrodes for Microbial Fuel Cells" (TexKoMBZ) has developed a special anode that makes future industrial-scale applications seem realistic.

Many people suffer from food allergies. According to estimates by the German Allergy and Asthma Association (DAAB), around six million children and adults are affected in Germany alone. Peanut allergy is particularly widespread. So far, allergy sufferers have had to do without allergy-causing foods such as peanuts or mustard, as the condition cannot yet be cured.

Pre-processed food needs to become healthier, this is the mission of practically all producers. Sugar promotes obesity, salt cardiovascular diseases. When it comes to reducing the amount of these ingredients in a product, however, manufacturers' primary method has been to lower the recommended portion size. Tests with alternative, healthier formulations have shown that products that contain less sugar or salt than consumers are used to rarely meet their taste expectations - and fail to capture the market.

They sit tight on the seabed, and even the waves hitting the coast can’t harm them – mussels. The secret of their resilience lies in their feet: The shellfish’s feet produce a protein that sticks underwater like no other substance. Be it stone, metal, or plastic: the mussel adhesive sticks extremely well to almost any surface.

Germany has a recycling problem, even if it appears to be different at first glance. While the Federal Environment Agency reported a recycling rate of 99.4% for 2017, slightly more than half of the 6.15 million tonnes of collected plastic waste was thermally recycled, i.e. used to generate heat in waste incineration plants, cement works or power stations. Material recycling amounted to only 2.87 million tonnes (46.7%). This process conserves around three times as much of the energy contained in the plastic as can be used thermally by burning it.