Biotechnology/Systems biology

Whether in smartphones or computers, printed circuit boards are found in almost all electronic devices. They are made from non-renewable raw materials such as glass fibres and epoxy resin and are difficult to recycle. The figures speak for themselves: around 60% of the 62 million tonnes of electronic waste generated each year is circuit boards. 

Corn has been the dominant energy crop in Germany to date. However, its cultivation is problematic and is associated with soil erosion, nutrient leaching and, in particular, nitrate contamination of groundwater. An alternative could be the cultivation of the cup plant. Researchers at the University of Bayreuth have conducted a study showing the advantages of cultivating this plant for both energy production and the environment.

Barley (Hordeum vulgare) is considered the fourth most important cereal crop worldwide. In Germany, it is even the second most cultivated crop after wheat. However, in view of climate change, agriculture faces the challenge of securing yields even under changing environmental conditions. In order to strengthen barley's adaptability to these changes, the focus is shifting to genetic traits that control the plant's growth and flowering time.

Industrial hemp is one of the few renewable raw materials that grows all year round. The plant also binds more CO₂ than trees and can replace wood as a source of raw material, thereby helping to protect forests. The Cologne-based start-up PAPACKS is also capitalising on these advantages. Since 2013, the company has been developing sustainable packaging based on fresh and recycled fibres – including industrial hemp. The range extends from egg boxes and cream jars to inlays and cardboard packaging for industry.

Manufacturers of conventional insulation materials mostly rely on synthetic or mineral substances, the production of which consumes a lot of energy and causes CO₂ emissions. At the Institute for Circular Economy of Bio:Polymers (ibp) at Hof University of Applied Sciences, researchers are working on a sustainable alternative in the ‘Mycobuild’ project: they want to put thermal insulation materials based on fungal mycelium into use and establish an industrial manufacturing process that is both ecological and energy-efficient.

The phytohormone auxin is involved in almost all developmental processes in plants. Among other things, this signalling substance, which is produced in the leaves, ensures that the plant grows towards the light and forms lateral roots. But how do plants manage to adapt their growth to increasing environmental changes? Answers are provided by a study conducted by researchers at the University of Freiburg in Germany.

Methanol is a valuable synthetic raw material in the chemical industry that is also used as a solvent and fuel. In future, methanol produced from plant-based raw materials and residues could replace some of the methanol currently based on fossil raw materials. However, this requires new processes that are less complex and energy-intensive than those used to date. Researchers at Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg (FAU) are now presenting a new method for sustainable methanol production from biomass.

Amsilk GmbH, based in Neuried, is considered a pioneer in industrial biotechnology. The team has developed a method in which microorganisms produce modified silk proteins. These can be further processed into powders, hydrogels, fibres and coatings. The biomaterials produced from these consist of 100% silk proteins and are completely biodegradable.