The marine bacterium Vibrio natriegens is faster than any other: No known organism that is harmless to humans multiplies faster. This makes it a potentially highly interesting tool for biotechnology. A research team from TU Munich has investigated this question and used the microbe to produce succinic acid. Their research is presented in the journal „Microbial Biotechnology“.
The development and production of enzymes and bioprocesses are the strengths of the Leipzig-based biotech company c-LEcta. In 2018, a financing round laid the foundation for establishing large-scale production of enzymes. Last year, the Leipzig-based company cracked the €10 million revenue mark and announced a move to a yet-to-be-built biotechnology campus building.
Faster healing of damaged nerves and muscles - that's what researchers at the University of Bayreuth expect from specially spun fibers made from biotechnologically produced spider silk. Spider silk is non-toxic, well tolerated by the body and hardly colonized by microbes. At the same time, the material is tough, strong and biodegradable. For this reason, medicine is already testing it to create a support scaffold on which damaged nerve cells can regrow. So far, however, this process is still taking a very long time.
Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is a major component of the cannabis plant and is known primarily for its intoxicating effects. In a weakened form, the natural substance has also long been used in medicine to alleviate neurological diseases and pain. However, isolating the natural substance in pure form from the hemp plant is very costly. Therefore, such plant compounds are increasingly produced biotechnologically using bacteria such as Escherichia coli or the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
The prize money of 300 euros is rather symbolic, but attention is guaranteed: Kykeon Biotech won the "Founders' Pitch" of the Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg (BTU) on November 10, 2021. The young team convinced the twelve investors and more than 120 online viewers with its process for the cell-free production of artificial proteins. They had to share the audience award with 'Inflatable Lunar Habitat', a project that designed a portable and inflatable research tent for use on the moon.
Living organisms adapt to their respective environment as a result of evolution. This also applies to lichens, which are symbiotic communities of fungi and green algae or cyanobacteria.
Elastin is one of the most important trace proteins that provide elasticity and resilience in tissues and organs of the human body. These fibers are a main component of connective tissue and can lose their elasticity with age, due to environmental influences or accidents, and thus impair wound healing. This decreasing elasticity makes healing more difficult, especially in the case of large-area and chronic wounds. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Microstructure of Materials and Systems IMWS have a solution for this.
Hemp is one of the oldest crops in the world. Various parts and species of the plant are used to produce textile fibers, building materials, medicinal products, but also foodstuffs. The food industry relies primarily on the healthy ingredients of the hemp plant, which are rich in proteins, carbohydrates and fats, but also vitamins and minerals. Industrial hemp, on the other hand, is cultivated specifically for industrial use.
The two-phase sale of Icon Genetics was completed on August 21. Icon Genetics previous owner, German plant biotechnology company NOMAD Bioscience GmbH, already sold 51% of Icon's shares to Denka in August 2015. Now, the Japanese company has acquired the remaining 49% of shares, resulting in Icon Genetics becoming a wholly owned subsidiary of Denka. According to a press release, the total acquisition amount to be paid by DENKA is a maximum of €75 million.
The specialty chemicals company Evonik opened a new production site for its Evonik Advanced Botanicals subsidiary in Tours, France. Evonik is active in over 100 countries and the subsidiary was originally founded in 2016, when Evonik acquired the French startup Alkion Biopharma SAS, an expert in biotechnological production of plant-based active ingredients.