Agriculture and forestry

They are found in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, cleaning agents, on seeds and even in fire extinguishers: surfactants. These substances reduce the surface tension of a liquid or the interfacial tension between two liquid phases. Surfactants can be used to mix generally immiscible liquids together or separate them from each other in a controlled manner.
In mid-December, Biotensidon GmbH, a Karlsruhe-based subsidiary of the Swiss firm Biotensidon International AG, announced a breakthrough in the mass production of rhamnolipid surfactants.

You need to have a great deal of stamina and specialised knowledge to study biodiversity on agricultural land. The 'Jena Experiment' is a prime example of biodiversity research in a field laboratory. It was initiated in 2002 by the Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry and the Friedrich Schiller University Jena (FSU). It is not only the longest-running biodiversity experiment in Europe, but also the largest.

Cultivating tomatoes in space — it all sounds rather alien! Yet that extra-terrestrial mission is central to a project currently being developed by the researchers from the German Aerospace Centre (DLR). Preparations for the mission: Eu:Cropis (Euglena and Combined Regenerative Organic Food Production in Space) are in full swing. Scientists hope to send a satellite carrying tomato seeds into space before the end of the year.

Preventing deforestation

However, land ecosystems have changed. Forests are being felled for agricultural purposes or existing arable land is being cultivated in new ways.

According to research consultancy HFFA Research, the European Commission decision of 2013 to largely restrict the use of neonicotinoids has clearly had negative environmental impact and resulted in severe economic losses for the European oilseed sector.

Ants are diligent workers. These social insects form a super-organism that divides up roles in a clear fashion. They also cooperate with other living creatures that protect them from predators or provide them with nourishment. The idea of ants, like many other living creatures, living in symbiosis with other animals and plants is yesterday's news. Researchers from the Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich, however, have discovered an unusually close symbiotic relationship on the part of the insects.

The federal government published a draft amendment to the Genetic Engineering Act to allow for the cultivation of genetically modified agricultural crops to be prohibited in Germany. In particular, the amendment should lead to securing the 'opt-out' Regulation in law. However, amendments are also planned in regard to the research branch of synthetic biology.

Now bio-engineers from Halle have found a way of manufacturing carnosic acid using biotechnology. As the team reports in the scientific journal 'Nature Communications', they do that by using reprogrammed yeast as a cell factory. With its powerful aroma, rosemary counts as one of the most popular kitchen herbs. The cause of the distinctive taste is the vegetable substance carnosic acid. It is also found in sage leaves.

Whether in ice cream, pizza, chocolate or biodiesel, palm oil is one of the world's most versatile plant-based oils. That makes it one of the most important raw materials for the bio-based economy. Demand today is higher than ever. About 60 million tonnes of palm oil and palm-kernel oil are produced annually. The area cultivated worldwide is 17 million hectares, about half the land mass of Germany. Around 1.8 million tonnes of palm oil are consumed each year here. The lion's share, 41 per cent, is used in the manufacturing of biodiesel.