11.10.2024 News
Chemistry Microorganisms Chemistry
Using Raman spectroscopy, researchers in Jena have succeeded in analysing the interaction between the green alga Ulva and its bacterial community in real time without disturbing the sensitive interaction.
06.10.2023 News
Agriculture and forestry Plants Agriculture sciences
Temperatures in the ground are rising faster than in the air. This is the conclusion of a study in which researchers also call for a reassessment of the effects of heat extremes in the ground.
04.10.2023 News
unspecific Microorganisms Biotechnology/Systems biology
The enzyme PET46, which originates from archaea, decomposes medium- and long-chain plastic molecules, as a research team from Germany has discovered.
02.10.2023 Success story
Chemistry Microorganisms Biotechnology/Systems biology
The Linopol project has developed a process to produce polymer intermediates from biological sources.
10.10.2023 News
Chemistry Plants Chemistry
As part of an EU project, Fraunhofer ISC is working on a bio-based alternative to so-called 'Forever Chemicals' for packaging and textiles.
09.10.2023 News
Chemistry Microorganisms Biotechnology/Systems biology
A Max Planck team from Bremen has studied a methane microbe living in oil fields that can elegantly convert CO2 into formic acid.
11.10.2023 News
Energy Microorganisms Biotechnology/Systems biology
For a long time, the living environment in the fermenters of biogas plants was a black box. An EU consortium with the participation of researchers from Cottbus has used metagenome analysis to track down the most important microbial biogas producers.
23.10.2023 News
Machine and plant engineering Waste Materials sciences
Together with partners, Fraunhofer researchers want to develop material-saving processes for the production of durable components made of fibre-reinforced biopolymers and thus reduce the CO2 content in vehicle components by up to 50%.
19.10.2023 News
Chemistry Fungi Chemistry
The chemical company BASF SE is investing a high double-digit million amount in a new fermentation plant in Ludwigshafen for the production of sustainable crop protection products.
24.10.2023 News
Chemistry Microorganisms Biodiversity
Diatoms have developed a way to grow successfully even in nutrient-poor marine regions.
20.10.2023 News
unspecific unspecific unspecific
The Potsdam Science Park Conference focused on innovations for the food industry and medicine. Around 160 interested people came to find out about new developments on the Golm Campus and in the Berlin-Brandenburg metropolitan region.
02.10.2023 Studies and statistics
unspecific Plants unspecific
Replacing 50% of meat and dairy products with plant-based alternatives by 2050 can reduce agriculture and land use related greenhouse gas emissions by 31% and halt the degradation of forest and natural land, according to a recent study.
Thu, 12/07/2023 - 12:00 In-depth report
Agriculture and forestry Animals unspecific
Their great diversity and broad food spectrum make insects a unique resource for the bioeconomy. This in-depth report sheds light on how humans utilise insects and the natural products they produce and highlights the research into innovative applications.
27.10.2023 News
Agriculture and forestry Plants Agriculture sciences
The Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) wants to massively advance the breeding of climate-adapted and high-performance crops. Funding is being provided for alliances and junior research groups that use the entire spectrum of modern breeding techniques – including genome editing.
01.11.2023 News
unspecific Microorganisms Biotechnology/Systems biology
The Grand Jamboree of iGEM, the international student competition on synthetic biology, starts in Paris on 2 November. There will be 19 university teams from Germany at the start. All projects at a glance.
09.11.2023 News
Food Animals Agriculture sciences
More information on the benefits of insects as food and their sustainable production can help to minimise reservations, as an EU country study shows.
31.10.2023 News
unspecific unspecific Biotechnology/Systems biology
At a status seminar organised by the BMBF funding programme "Future Technologies for the Industrial Bioeconomy", research associations presented their diverse approaches to developing biohybrid technologies.
13.11.2023 News
Food Animals Agriculture sciences
Two independent ESA research teams have come to the conclusion that the production of cultured meat in space as a protein-rich food source would be particularly worthwhile on long-haul missions.
09.11.2023 News
unspecific Microorganisms Biotechnology/Systems biology
At the grand finale of the iGEM competition for synthetic biology in Paris, the university teams from Braunschweig, Dresden, Freiburg and Heidelberg scored particularly well. The other German teams also came home with special prizes and medals.
10.11.2023 News
Food unspecific Biotechnology/Systems biology
At a conference organised by the industry association Weiße Biotechnologie e.V. (IWBio) in Berlin, stakeholders discussed the potential and innovation obstacles of biotechnological alternatives to meat, milk and egg products.
17.11.2023 News
Chemistry unspecific Chemistry
Interested parties can now apply for the fifth Innovation Challenge of the International Competence Centre for Sustainable Chemistry (ISC3). We are looking for solutions in the field of sustainable chemistry for textiles.
20.11.2023 News
unspecific unspecific Agriculture sciences
The first cooperation projects of the BMBF's Bioeconomy International funding measure were launched ten years ago. To mark the anniversary, the BMBF hosted a conference in Bonn. The upcoming round of calls for proposals was also discussed there.
22.11.2023 News
Construction Waste Plant and process engineering
Lignin-coated natural fibers can replace highly resistant synthetic fibers in some civil engineering applications.
27.11.2023 News
Agriculture and forestry Plants Agriculture sciences
An international research team was able to prove that on grassland it is not the quantity of plant biomass but its diversity that is decisive for carbon storage in the soil.
24.11.2023 News
Food Microorganisms Biotechnology/Systems biology
With the commissioning of the first pilot plant for the production of sustainable proteins, the Hamburg-based biotechnology company has taken a further step towards commercialization.
30.11.2023 News
unspecific unspecific unspecific
As part of the "Bioeconomy International" funding initiative, the BMBF is supporting the establishment of global research alliances for the eleventh time.
Fri, 07/12/2024 - 12:00 In-depth report
Food Plants Agriculture sciences
Vanillin is arguably the most important flavoring in the world. The bio-based economy can contribute in various ways to the sustainable, reliable and high-quality supply of vanillin. This dossier describes indoor farming methods for vanilla cultivation and highlights biotechnological and chemical approaches on the way to vanilla flavoring.
05.12.2023 News
unspecific Microorganisms Biotechnology/Systems biology
The European Research Council (ERC) has announced the recipients of this year's Consolidator Grants. These include four pioneering research projects from Germany that are relevant to the bioeconomy.
15.12.2023 Success story
Agriculture and forestry Plants Plant breeding research
Breakthroughs in breeding could lead to a comeback for this overlooked crop - especially during the climate crisis.
21.12.2023 News
Chemistry Waste Chemistry
For the development of resource-saving sodium-ion batteries based on lignin and hemicellulose, researchers at Aalen University are receiving around one million euros from the Carl Zeiss Foundation.
07.12.2023 News
unspecific unspecific unspecific
Three federal ministers were present at the Bioeconomy Forum in Berlin. In front of more than 200 participants, they emphasized the potential of a sustainable, bio-based economy and made it clear what is important now.
08.12.2023 News
Chemistry Waste Chemistry
The Swiss specialty chemicals company Clariant is discontinuing the loss-making production of cellulosic ethanol from straw at its plant in Romania, which was only opened in 2022. Corresponding activities in Straubing, Munich and Planegg will also be shut down.
14.12.2023 News
Construction Microorganisms Biotechnology/Systems biology
Researchers at Munich University of Applied Sciences have developed a process that for the first time enables the efficient cultivation of lime-producing bacteria and thus the commercial use of "self-healing concrete".
18.02.2025 News
unspecific unspecific Bioökonomie mitgestalten
A total of 14 clusters from various European countries, including Germany, have joined forces to promote a circular and sustainable bioeconomy.
27.02.2025 News
Textiles Microorganisms Biotechnology/Systems biology
As part of a Europe-wide project, a research team from Jülich has developed a bacterium that can convert various nylon building blocks into valuable substances – a new approach to combating plastic pollution.
25.02.2025 News
Pharmaceutical industry unspecific Materials sciences
Innovative cell culture systems that are set to revolutionise production processes in the pharmaceutical and biotech industry – the start-up Green Elephant Biotech is now receiving support from Bürkert Fluid Control Systems for this vision.
26.02.2025 News
Food Fungi Food technology
The start-up Kynda is working on the development of meat substitutes made from mushroom mycelium. It has now received funding totalling 3 million euros. The investors are EnjoyVenture, the PHW Group and Clima Now.
05.03.2025 News
Consumables unspecific Materials sciences
The Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging has developed and trialled a new bio-based, recyclable packaging film for food in collaboration with the Albstadt-Sigmaringen University of Applied Sciences.
07.03.2025 News
Agriculture and forestry Plants Plant breeding research
A Bavarian scientific team has researched how plant protection products can be applied selectively and automatically using drones and artificial intelligence. The challenges and results have now been published.
10.03.2025 News
Agriculture and forestry unspecific Plant breeding research
Berlin researchers provide the data basis for including human excreta in the list of permitted source materials in the Fertilizer Ordinance.
Wed, 05/07/2025 - 12:00 In-depth report
Machine and plant engineering unspecific Plant and process engineering
A digital twin is a virtual representation of a physical object or system that is updated in real time with data from the real world or from simulation runs. This short report explains how digital twins work and how they are used in the bioeconomy.
12.03.2025 News
unspecific Microorganisms Biotechnology/Systems biology
For the first time, an international research team has been able to optimize synthetic carbon fixation to such an extent that it works more efficiently than natural metabolic pathways.
13.03.2025 News
unspecific unspecific Bioökonomie mitgestalten
The Joachim Herz Stiftung is supporting three research teams with its new innovate! Fund with up to 1 million euros each. They are looking for innovative approaches that make biogenic resources usable.
17.03.2025 News
Chemistry Microorganisms Biotechnology/Systems biology
A team led by Max Planck researcher Caroline Gutjahr from Potsdam has been able to clarify how plants control the symbiosis with fungi under stress conditions.
20.03.2025 News
Agriculture and forestry Plants Agriculture sciences
As part of an EU project, researchers at Trier University are developing digital solutions to advise winegrowers on soil protection.
14.04.2025 Sector
Textiles unspecific
The textile industry has always used renewable raw materials, from plant fibres such as linen or cotton to animal products such as wool, silk or leather. With the increasing drive towards more sustainability, bio-based innovations are on the rise. Examples include biotech silk, vegan leather and vegetable tanning and dyeing agents.
26.03.2025 News
Chemistry Plants Chemistry
Würzburg researchers have synthesized four dye molecules from photosynthesis in plant cells and thus artificially recreated one of the first steps of the natural metabolic pathway.
14.04.2025 Sector
Pharmaceutical industry unspecific
Medicinal herbs have been used against illnesses for thousands of years. Today, medicines are more and more often produced using biotechnological processes. Biopharmaceuticals, which include active ingredients such as antibodies, enzymes and vaccines, account for about one third of the pharmaceutical market – and their share is growing rapidly.
18.04.2025 Success story
Food Waste Agriculture sciences
In the joint project CUBES Circle, a consortium of researchers from Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin is developing and testing a symbiotic production system for the preparation of food in cities.
24.03.2025 News
Pharmaceutical industry Microorganisms Biotechnology/Systems biology
Max Planck researchers have functionalized microalgae with chitosan and magnetic nanoparticles in such a way that the movement of the unicellular organisms can be controlled - even through human tissue.
31.03.2025 News
Agriculture and forestry Plants Agriculture sciences
Growing biomass on rewetted moors and generating electricity at the same time: the feasibility of this innovative concept is currently being investigated in the MoorPower project.
27.03.2025 News
Chemistry Waste Chemistry
On March 24, the first demonstration plant that converts biogas from wastewater into climate-neutral methanol was put into operation on the site of the Mannheim sewage treatment plant.
02.04.2025 News
Agriculture and forestry Microorganisms Plant breeding research
An international research team has deciphered how legumes control the symbiotic relationship with bacteria in their root nodules via signaling pathways.
04.04.2025 News
Agriculture and forestry Plants Agriculture sciences
Not only legumes, but also crops such as sunflowers are suitable as catch crops to remove pollutants from agricultural soils. This is shown in a study by the Helmholtz Center for Environmental Research.
02.04.2025 Interview
Agriculture and forestry Plants Agriculture sciences
Saxony-Anhalt wants to become a “center of the pea bioeconomy”. A research consortium led by Jochen Reif is laying the groundwork for this.
08.04.2025 Success story
Chemistry Fungi Biotechnology/Systems biology
In the MycoSorb project, researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute in Straubing have developed adsorbent materials capable of removing pharmaceutical residues from wastewater.
10.04.2025 News
unspecific unspecific unspecific
The Volkswagen Foundation is supporting nine projects that address closed raw material-product cycles with a total of 11.6 million euros - including innovations for the bioeconomy.
11.04.2025 News
Agriculture and forestry Animals Biotechnology/Systems biology
Researchers at the August-Wilhelm Scheer Institute want to make the breeding of insects more efficient, resource-saving and comprehensible by expanding the InsectAI technology platform.
26.08.2019 In-Depth Report
unspecific unspecific Biodiversity
In Germany, almost 800 research institutions in the natural sciences and humanities deal with the bioeconomy. Every two years, biookonomie.de contacts these research institutes and asks them about their priorities regarding R&D, their raw materials, industrial applications, financing and number of employees. In addition to the data collected, this year six bioeconomy experts were interviewed about their assessments of the local research landscape.
14.04.2025 News
unspecific unspecific Materials sciences
In the interdisciplinary BioSHIP project, industry and science are working together to prevent the fouling of ship parts with biodegradable antifouling coatings.
