The decision to phase out coal has been made. From 2030, no more coal is to be mined in Germany. Regions like the Rhineland must therefore rethink. With the BioeconomyREVIER, the NRW state government has already set the course for a bio-based and sustainable economy in 2020. However, in order to drive structural change forward, corresponding innovations from research and development must be put into practice as quickly as possible.
Plastics are versatile and durable - but it is precisely their durability that poses a problem: petroleum-based plastics decompose only incompletely or not at all, thus polluting the environment. However, it is not yet possible to do without plastics altogether. That's why researchers around the world are looking for ways to recycle petroleum-based plastics. So far, only a small portion of the world's plastic waste is recycled. By identifying new biocatalysts, researchers have now paved the way for sustainable recycling of plastic waste.
Without microorganisms, there would be no bread, no cheese, no beer and no wine. The metabolic capabilities of bacteria, yeasts and molds are of particular importance with regard to a sustainable economy. With their help, renewable raw materials can be converted into new substances and customized products for the bioeconomy. Industrial biotechnology has therefore been using microorganisms as production factories for the manufacture of chemicals, drugs, vaccines or fuels for decades.
Tree trunks consist of up to 20% bark, which until now has only been partially utilized. Researchers at the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces (MPIKG) have now significantly expanded the use of native tree bark through a new process. As part of a feasibility study, the team was able to demonstrate that tree bark can be preserved in its natural state and processed into panels without adhesives. The glue-free bark panels could replace conventional chipboard in interior design or in the furniture and packaging sector.
The Corona pandemic had caused sales in the German biotech industry to soar for two years in a row. Just as great was the willingness of companies to invest in research and development (R&D) and create new jobs. Vaccine developers such as BioNTech and CureVac in particular had determined the record growth. Now, the annual survey of the industry association BIO Deutschland revealed a rather pessimistic picture.
High-density polyethylenes (HDPE) are popular materials for plastic containers, sheets and films because they form particularly robust and durable thermoplastics. These properties result from the way the molecular chains of the plastic combine - usually arranged in crystalline structures. However, the chemical structure of high-density polyethylene has a disadvantage: it is an almost pure hydrocarbon without functional groups, i.e. without reactive side elements of the main chain.
For many, hydrogen is the energy carrier of the future because it is a clean and versatile fuel that produces no direct greenhouse gas emissions. But hydrogen is only sustainable if it is produced with electricity from renewable sources. In the project "Structure-based Metabolic Engineering of H2 Production by Algae (H2M)", researchers from Ruhr-Universität Bochum and Osaka University want to use certain microalgae as hydrogen producers and enable them to produce hydrogen not only during the day through photosynthesis, but also at night.
Biodegradable plastics do not disappear from the environment as quickly and easily as their name promises. Instead, many plastics degrade only very slowly or partially. Researchers at the University of Bayreuth have developed a new approach that could alleviate this problem: They incorporate enzymes into the plastic during production that later effectively degrade the material in wastewater treatment plants or composting facilities.
Coat hooks are usually made from conventional plastics. Every year, up to ten billion of them are produced worldwide to display textiles such as socks, caps or scarves in fashion stores. However, only a small proportion of these are recycled. Disposable hooks in particular pose a recycling challenge due to their size. Yet this could soon change: With a textile hook made from plant-based biopolymers, traceless materials is now starting field trials for the first pilot product.
Euglenoids are found primarily in shallow and sweet waters such as ponds and village ponds, but also in the sea, brackish water or even salt lakes. The exceptionally wide distribution of these single-celled organisms makes them survival artists that have long fascinated researchers worldwide. However, of the 1,000 known species, only 20 have been studied.