Biotechnology/Systems biology

Alliances sought for wood bioeconomy

With its national bioeconomy strategy, the German government aims to support the shift from an economy based predominantly on fossil raw materials to a sustainable, biobased economy oriented toward natural material cycles. To leverage the potential of the bioeconomy, the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) supports numerous research projects - including with international partners. This is where the Bioeconomy in the North (BiN) initiative, founded in 2017 with partners from Finland, Norway, Sweden, Canada and Germany, comes in.

Amoebae as biofactories for natural substances

Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is a major component of the cannabis plant and is known primarily for its intoxicating effects. In a weakened form, the natural substance has also long been used in medicine to alleviate neurological diseases and pain. However, isolating the natural substance in pure form from the hemp plant is very costly. Therefore, such plant compounds are increasingly produced biotechnologically using bacteria such as Escherichia coli or the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Yeast replaces palm oil

Chocolate, potato chips and organic fuel all have one thing in common - they all contain the popular resource palm oil. However, the cultivation of palm oil is controversial. Worldwide, around 19 million hectares of rainforest have already been cleared for this purpose. This not only releases large quantities of the greenhouse gas CO2, but also destroys important habitats for flora and fauna.

A light switch for targeted genome interventions

The research project getLIGHT (Novel light-inducible genome editing technology for crops) aimed to develop nothing less than a completely new genome editing method. In plant breeding, for example, this would enable the rapid and precise development of improved varieties without incurring expensive licensing fees for established methods such as CRISPR-Cas.

Combining root systems of different wheat varieties

For food crops to thrive and food security to be ensured, modern agricultural ecosystems must be equipped to meet the challenges of climate change. It is no longer enough to trim important crops for maximum yield. They also need to be resistant and stress-tolerant to heat, drought and pathogens. In the CROP project, researchers from the Institute of Biosciences and Geosciences (IBG-3) at Forschungszentrum Jülich are therefore collaborating with the University of Hohenheim to develop a new cultivation strategy for wheat.  

Vegan egg alternative from the field bean

Whether boiled, fried or for baking: Some people find it hard to imagine an everyday life without eggs. According to the Federal Office of Food and Agriculture, 19.9 billion eggs are consumed in Germany every year. This corresponds to a per capita consumption of 239 eggs per year on average. While plant-based alternatives have long been available on the market for other animal products, there are hardly any vegan options for eggs.

Cell-free protein production convinces at pitch

The prize money of 300 euros is rather symbolic, but attention is guaranteed: Kykeon Biotech won the "Founders' Pitch" of the Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg (BTU) on November 10, 2021. The young team convinced the twelve investors and more than 120 online viewers with its process for the cell-free production of artificial proteins. They had to share the audience award with 'Inflatable Lunar Habitat', a project that designed a portable and inflatable research tent for use on the moon.

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