Nappies of renewable raw materials that are completely biodegradable: That is the aim that Dominik Franck is pursuing with his 'Fairwindel' company. 'Inspired' by his daughter's mountain of nappies, the chemist has developed a new type of nappy partly consisting of potato starch and maize. The 'Fairwindel' company, managed by Franck together with his wife in Mühlenbeck near Berlin, was commended in 2015 as a sustainability startup.
Although peptides are already often used in cosmetics or the pharmaceutical industry, their unused potential is even greater. Their expensive and complex production however, has limited their application possibilities thus far. The Düsseldorf start up Numaferm has developed a new tool to remedy the situation. CEO Philipp Bürling is convinced the new Numaferm technology that was developed by his business partner Christian Schwarz will significantly reduce the production costs of peptides.
In the global search for alternatives to oil-based fuels, the scientific community is focusing increasingly on renewable raw materials. While the automotive industry is gradually offering more eco-friendly models, the aviation industry is lagging behind. In the DropIn Biofuels project at the Technical University of Darmstadt, microbiologist Johannes Kabisch and his team are working on a new generation of biofuels that could help reduce the emissions caused by aviation.
The chemical company BASF is counting on synthetic biology for industrial production and is investing in the Chinese start-up Bota Biosciences Ltd. (Bota Bio) through its in-house venture capital company BASF Venture Capital GmbH. The amount of the investment was not disclosed. Founded in 2019, the Hangzhou-based company relies on a platform that combines IT, biotechnology and automation. With the help of the technology, microorganisms for the production of various products can be quickly identified, characterised and reprogrammed.
Almost all materials and surfaces are coated with a coat of paint or varnish today. It improves appearances and protects the material from corrosion. However, very few are bio-based. And in the past, paints and varnishes with bio-based binders or film formers have either been too expensive or could not meet the requirements. But through the use of modified starch, scientists at the Fraunhofer IAP in Potsdam-Golm and the Fraunhofer IPA in Stuttgart have found a sustainable and cost-effective solution.
Huge amounts of packaging waste accrue every day and much of it ends up polluting our oceans. However, not only the large pieces of plastic are dangerous to the environment but also the much smaller pieces of microplastic. And yet, they are still widely used in cosmetic care products such as scrubs and wash peelings. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Microstructure of Materials and Systems IMWS now developed a bio-based and – perhaps even more importantly – biodegradable alternative.
Specialty chemicals company Clariant and biotechnology company Global Bioenergies have announced the development of a new bio-based polymer of renewable isobutene for cosmetic creams and lotions.
The wide-spread disappaerance of insects has many causes, including environmental toxins and climate change. But regarding the high bee mortality of the past years, there is another culprit: the Varroa mite. This parasite has infected almost all bee colonies. The mites suck at the larvae and bees and weaken them. In addition, the Varroa mite also transmits pathogens.
Evonik and Siemens have entered into a joint research project called Rheticus. Approximately 20 researchers from both companies will be working on electrolysis and fermentation processes for the next two years. The first test plant is scheduled to go on stream by 2021 at the Evonik facility in Marl, Germany. This plant produces chemicals such as butanol and hexanol – both of which are the basis for special plastics and food supplements.
Twenty years ago, the Great Pacific Trash island turned the world's attention to the problems caused by plastic waste. In particular, if, over time, the waste decomposes to microplastics, it endangers life in the seas.