Biotechnology/Systems biology

Mistletoe branches are considered lucky charms in many places. Here, the white berried mistletoe (Viscum album) with its white berry fruits is particularly widespread. It grows on deciduous trees such as birches, poplars or apple trees and is considered a semi-parasitic plant because it extracts water and the mineral salts it contains from the host plant. The white berries of mistletoe have now attracted the interest of materials scientists at the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces (MPIKG) in Potsdam.

Germany wants to become climate-neutral by 2045, and greenhouse gas emissions are to be reduced by 65% as early as 2030 - this is what the German government has stipulated in the new Climate Protection Act. To achieve this ambitious goal, production processes must also become more sustainable - for example, in the manufacture of hydrogen. It is seen as the energy carrier of the future. However, production is very energy-intensive. Partners from science and industry now want to tackle this problem.

From sausage spreads to cold cuts or burgers: plant-based sausage and meat alternatives are now part of the standard range in many supermarkets. However, they are still the exception on the menus of German restaurants. That could soon change. After the Netherlands and the UK, Singapore-based food tech startup Next Gen Foods, led by German co-founder Timo Recker, is now launching its plant-based chicken brand TiNDLE in Germany.

Whole-cell biocatalysts - sounds complicated, but simply means that cells of an organimus are used to produce valuable products - such as yeast for beer or bread. Even complex chemical molecules such as pharmaceuticals can be produced in this way. The microorganisms grow in a bioreactor or fermenter and produce the desired products through their metabolism. Researchers have long been asking the question: Are all cells equally productive or is there a kind of "division of labor"?

Hydrogen is set to become an important energy carrier wherever electrical energy cannot be used directly. However, this is only sustainable if the hydrogen is produced using renewable energies or biobased, and it can be stored. For this, a research team at Goethe University Frankfurt has now developed a process based on bacteria.

A new tool for biotechnology has been discovered coincidentally by research teams from the University of Leipzig and TU Dresden: while studying the cyanobacterium Scytonema hofmanni, they came across an enzyme with a previously unknown ability. The enzyme, called furanolide synthase, masters the ability to create certain carbon-carbon bonds.

The market for meat substitutes may still be small, but it is growing rapidly. Microbial protein could play a particularly important role as an alternative to beef, researchers from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) report in the scientific journal Nature.

Chitin is the second most common polysaccharide on earth after cellulose and a major component of the shell of many insects such as beetles and flies. The biopolymer is often used as a starting material for the technical production of chitosan, which in turn is used to manufacture fibers, foams or films. Because of its structuring and biocompatible properties, however, it is of particular interest for medical products - for example, for replicating organs or as a carrier material for drugs.