Biotechnology/Systems biology

The number of people on the planet and thus the number of hungry mouths to feed is constantly growing and is expected to exceed 9 billion by the year 2050. Thus, there is an urgent need to improve crop yield for food output. To meet this demand, researchers lead by Manajit Hayer-Hartl at the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry in Munich aim to increase the efficiency of photosynthesis and thus crop productivity by artificially engineering the plant Rubisco enzyme.

The skin is the largest organ of the human body and fulfils a number of vital functions. However, the skin is also under constant “attack” – by the sun, water or allergens in clothing and cosmetics. In order to minimise or even exclude allergens in such products, they are tested on skin models in cell culture. For a better understanding of skin physiology the Mannheim University of Applied Sciences (MUAS) and BRAIN AG are developing a new three-dimensional skin model with the aim to provide new insights for health care and cosmetic applications.

Whether pathogenic fungi or rising temperatures: plants are increasingly suffering the consequences of climate change, putting pressure on agriculture as a food sector. What mechanisms have plants developed to protect themselves against pests or changing environmental conditions? Marburg biochemist Gert Bange and Brandenburg molecular biologist Philip Wigge are addressing precisely these questions. The two scientists have now been awarded the prestigious ERC grant from the European Research Council for their pioneering research.

Biotechnologically produced vaccines are currently the hot topic in the fight against the Corona pandemic. And with the mRNA vaccine manufacturers BioNTech and CureVac, two German companies have abruptly advanced to become global stars of the biotechnology industry in 2020.

Proteins form an important part of our diet. The vast majority of vital nutrients are still covered by animal protein sources such as meat. Yet factory farming, pesticide use and climate change are increasingly endangering soils and groundwater and putting pressure on agriculture. The switch to new protein sources can be a solution. This is where the FutureProteins project comes in. Researchers from six Fraunhofer institutes are working together to develop novel protein sources as an alternative to meat and turn them into new food products.

Plastic shopping bags are gradually disappearing from supermarkets. From 2022, they are to vanish completely - that was decided by the Bundestag last year. However, the thin fruit and vegetable bags are exempt from this, what upsets many: they are made of petroleum and often end up in nature, where they can cause lasting damage to the environment.