Chemistry

Enriching the textile industry with bio-based solutions – this common strategic goal led to a collaboration between the world's first commercial supplier of biotech silk polymers from Martinsried, AMSilk, and the Zwingenberg-based biotechnology company BRAIN Biotech just over a year ago. The aim of the collaboration was to establish high-performance protein-based fibers for the textile industry.

Many building materials - whether concrete or insulating materials - are made from petroleum-based raw materials and are energy-intensive to produce. Large quantities of the climate-damaging greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (CO2) are produced, particularly during the manufacture of the binding agent cement.

Microalgae are seen as the beacon of hope for the bioeconomy. Sunlight, carbon dioxide and water are enough for these tiny creatures to produce enormous quantities of biomass in a short space of time, which can be used for both material and energy purposes. Microalgae not only bind large quantities of carbon dioxide. As they can also absorb pollutants, microalgae have proven their worth as wastewater purifiers.

Thanks to a mix of methods, a team at the Technical University of Braunschweig has succeeded for the first time in identifying individual amino acids in a peptide by analyzing the surface of the molecule under a microscope. This means that one of the basic building blocks of life can now be examined down to the nanometer.

Due to their diverse ingredients, algae are not only interesting for the food, cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries. They can also be used to dye textiles and as a raw material supplier for the production of biopolymers. The Berlin start-up Vyld is the first to use the potential of seaweed for the production of sustainable hygiene products. The aim is to develop menstrual products. The non-profit company has now secured fresh capital from investors in an early-stage financing round.

According to estimates, more than 900 million tons of residual biomass are produced throughout the European Union every year. Only a small proportion of this is recycled and fermented in biogas plants, for example. The majority, around 98%, ends up in, incineration plants or landfill sites. But this is now set to change.

Whether in the construction of buildings, the extraction and transportation of raw materials or the production of building materials such as concrete, the construction industry produces enormous amounts of greenhouse gases and, according to the Federal Environment Agency, consumes more than 70% of all raw materials mined in Germany. To conserve resources and the environment in equal measure, renewable building materials such as wood, straw and hemp are becoming increasingly important.

Nitrogen is an important nutrient for all living things. Our atmosphere is full of it, but the only living organisms that can bind and use this nitrogen directly are some microorganisms. They use certain enzymes called nitrogenases to do this. But researchers are also interested in these enzymes for a second reason: nitrogenases can bind carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide and form methane or ethylene from them. This turns problematic waste materials into valuable chemical resources.

They are small, light and long-lasting and therefore extremely popular: lithium-ion batteries. These powerful energy sources are not only found in many electronic devices such as cell phones, laptops and digital cameras. The automotive industry also mostly relies on lithium-ion batteries for the production of electric cars. The problem is that lithium is only available in limited quantities and has to be imported. Mining the raw material is also often problematic for both people and the environment.